Tag Archives: Iroha karuta

You can try it if you’d like, but…

Posted on February 19, 2017 by

Before you entrust an important job to someone with zero experience, maybe make sure the stakes aren’t too high. 習わぬ経は読めぬ (Narawanu kyou wa yomenu; “You can’t recite a Buddhist sutra you’ve never studied.”) Definition: Complicated tasks are impossible to perform … Continue reading →

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The fruit of corruption

Posted on February 12, 2017 by

As opposed to 湯から出た錆? 身から出た錆 (Mi kara deta sabi; “Tarnished from within.”) Definition: Suffering due to one’s own misdeeds, especially the bad things one has done to others. Paying for one’s mistakes; getting one’s just deserts. The image here is … Continue reading →

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As we journey through this world…

Posted on January 2, 2017 by

…Let’s wear our hearts on sleeves unfurled (I should have written a post in advance, but yesterday was taken up largely by my sister getting married. Today’s kotowaza is in honor of that long-awaited joyous event as well as a … Continue reading →

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You’ve got to really “stick” it in?

Posted on November 6, 2016 by

連木で腹を切る (Rengi de hara wo kiru; “To cut one’s belly with a wooden pestle”) Definition: An impossible event or task. By extension, attempting to achieve the impossible. Attempting a task that is as daunting as slicing one’s belly open with … Continue reading →

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Never trust anything strawberry-flavored

Posted on October 23, 2016 by

In fact, when in doubt, just go with the most masochistic option available. 良薬は口に苦し (Ryouyaku wa kuchi ni nigashi; “Good medicine is bitter in the mouth”) Definition: Good advice is hard to listen to. The advice that we most desperately … Continue reading →

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They’ll let you have next Tuesday, though

Posted on October 16, 2016 by

来年の事を言えば鬼が笑う (Rainen no koto wo ieba oni ga warau; “Oni laugh when you talk about next year”) Definition: Nobody can accurately predict the future, so there’s no use in trying to say what’s going to be happening next year. People … Continue reading →

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The problem with oboes

Posted on October 9, 2016 by

葦の髄から天井を覗く (Yoshi no zui kara tenjou wo nozoku; “To peer at the ceiling through a reed.”) Definition: Forming opinions and making decisions on a topic based on one’s narrow views and pre-formed beliefs rather than any sort of breadth or … Continue reading →

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Juggling for a rainy day

Posted on March 20, 2016 by

芸は身を助く (Gei wa mi wo tasuku; “An art saves the body”) Definition: Take the time to learn a skill or develop a talent, because the time may come when you’ll need it to make a living. Even hobbies can be … Continue reading →

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On properly protecting your pot

Posted on November 23, 2014 by

This is not a common or well-known saying by any means, but it tickles my fancy. 月夜に釜を抜かれる (Tsukiyo ni kama wo nukareru; “having your cook-pot stolen on a moonlit night”) Definition: Being caught completely off-guard. Catastrophic negligence, carelessness, or inattention. Breakdown: … Continue reading →

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On how to make a mountain

Posted on September 21, 2014 by

A variation on a theme: 塵も積もれば山となる (Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru; “Even dust, if it builds up, becomes a mountain”) Definition: Small things, allowed to accumulate, become large. Multiple sources reference the English saying “Many a little makes a … Continue reading →

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