Categories
- Japanese (823)
- Kotowaza (413)
- Yojijukugo (408)
- Long Fiction (6)
- Meta (11)
- Nonfiction (73)
- Poetry (13)
- Short Fiction (20)
- Uncategorized (13)
- World-Building (176)
- Miscellaneous (24)
- Rules (127)
- Setting (69)
- Japanese (823)
Archives
-
Recent Posts
Tag Archives: Iroha karuta
Verweilst du in der Welt, sie flieht als Traum
(Goethe) 京の夢大阪の夢(Kyou no yume Osaka no yume;“Capital dreams; Osaka dreams”) Definition: Dreams are mysterious and one can’t expect them to make any sense. Alternately, dreams are where one’s desires are most easily manifested; or by extension, a statement that different … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged differences, different dreams, dream logic, dreams, Iroha karuta, 大阪の夢, 京の夢, 京都
Leave a comment
Squeezed by one’s vices
Crunch crunch crunch 粋が身を食う(Sui ga mi wo kuu;“Worldly pleasures devour the man”) Definition: Too much pleasure will destroy you. A man, specifically, who spends all his time and money on dissolution with geisha (i.e. entertainers who provide music, song and … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged 粋, dissolution, entertainment, excess, 芸, 身の仇, 身を食う, Iroha karuta, pleasure, self-destruction, 大通どらの巻, 洒落本
Leave a comment
Don’t look a gift friend in the mouth
Turns out that’s kind of rude with humans too, eh 背戸の馬も相口(Sedo no uma mo aikuchi;“Even a back-entrance horse has a friend”) Definition: “Even an unruly horse can be tamed.” Even the most unfriendly, poorly-socialized person can become relatively cooperative if … Continue reading
No rest for the nebbish
The wicked all too often have a surfeit of leisure 貧乏暇なし(Binbou hima nashi;“Poor, no rest”) Definition: The poor have no free time; when you’re poor, you have to work constantly just to meet your needs and stay alive. When you’re … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged 貧乏, free time, hard work, Iroha karuta, poverty, privilege, Sewa tsukushi, work and leisure, 暇, 世話尽
Leave a comment
Smaller than an apple, at least
目の上の瘤(Me no ue no kobu;“A lump over the eye”) Definition: An eyesore; metaphorically, a person you don’t want to meet, usually because they always seem to get in your way and cause problems. Especially used for someone of higher social … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged annoyance, こぶ, めざわり, 瘤, 目障り, eyesore, Iroha karuta, nemesis, rival, thorn in the side
Leave a comment
On covering your butt
Both literally and metaphorically… not that a fundoshi actually covers much of the butt…. 義理と褌欠かされぬ(Giri to fundoshi kakasarenu;“Underwear and courtesy cannot be left lacking”) Definition: In the old days, it was acceptable for men doing hard labor to strip down … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged ふんどし, butts, common courtesy, 義理, 褌, 諺苑, 譬喩尽, Iroha karuta, obligation, public decency, underwear
Leave a comment
Bells with clappers and bells without
A grand excuse 竿の先に鈴(Sao no saki ni suzu;“A bell on the end of a pole”) Definition: Something especially noisy; a huge racket; by extension, when someone talks far too much. A pole is long and thin and often kind of … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged お喋り, 竿, 鈴, Iroha karuta, motormouth, noise, talking
Leave a comment
Suddenly, given the bird
Imagine if it did just literally “stand up,” though! 足下から鳥が立つ(Ashimoto kara tori ga tatsu;“A bird takes flight at one’s feet”) Definition: An expression of startlement. Something happens suddenly close at hand, or someone abruptly begins doing an activity, especially if … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged せけんむねさんよう, birds, 鳥が立つ, 足許, 足元, 足下, Iroha karuta, startled, sudden occurrence, taking flight, 世間胸算用
Leave a comment
Only a failure to see
–Malcolm Muggeridge 闇夜に鉄砲(Yamiyo ni teppou;“A gun on a dark night”) Definition: Doing things at random without any clear plans or information. Taking shots in the dark without even a target, much less the ability to see and aim at one. … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged arbitrary action, つぶて, 鉄砲, 闇夜, Iroha karuta, random flailing, shooting, the value of planning
Leave a comment
Actually, don’t put a lid on it
Keep your mouth open and face the music 臭い物に蓋をする(Kusai mono ni futa wo suru;“To put a lid on something stinky”) Definition: Stopgap measures to hide misdeeds, scandal, or other inconvenient realities. The tactic is temporary, but that doesn’t stop some, … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged a reckoning will not be postponed indefinitely, crime, 臭いもの, 臭い物, 蓋をする, hiding the truth, Iroha karuta, scandal, temporary measures, 双蝶蝶曲輪日記, 浄瑠璃
Leave a comment
landofnudotcom 