Dosakusa
Today I will talk about the Japanese word “dosakusa.”
どさくさ
“Dosakusa” means a situation that people are confused by sudden incidents or errands.
今日は「どさくさ」という日本語を紹介します。
In most cases, it is used with “magirete,” which means “to blend into something”, something like “dosakusa ni magirete ~ suru” (to do something in the confusion).
「どさくさ」は、突然の事件や用事で混乱している状態を表す言葉です。
Usage example: Dosakusa ni magirete party kara kaeru. (I escape from the party in the confusion.)
ほとんどの場合、「どさくさに紛れて～する」といった形で用いられます。
Some people say that this word comes from “bakuto gari” (to hunt gamblers), which was conducted to get workers at Sado Kinzan in the Edo period.
例：どさくさに紛れてパーティから帰る。
In this theory, “dosa” is a changed form of “sado,” and “kusa” comes from “kusai,” which means “to be sound like something” — that is, “dosakusa” indicates a confusion of a gambling parlor in Sado Kinzan.
この言葉は、江戸時代に佐渡金山での働き手を確保する際に行われた、博徒狩りに由来すると言われています。
However, nowadays this thought is regarded as a vulgar belief.
「さど」をひっくり返して「どさ」、そして「～らしい」と意味する「くさい」と付け、佐渡金山の賭場の混乱ぶりをたとえたというものです。
