Mayutsuba (Cock-and-Bull Story)
Mayutsuba
眉唾
Today I would like to talk about the Japanese term “mayutsuba.”
今日は「眉唾」という言葉を紹介します。
“Mayu” of “mayutsuba” means “eyebrow,” “tsuba” menas “saliva,” and “mayutsuba” means to be careful not to be deceived.
「眉唾」は、騙されないように用心することを意味します。
Also, it also means things that the truth or false is not clear or untrustworthy things.
(In this case, it is often called “mayutsuba mono,” which means “mayutsuba thing.”)
(In this case, it is often called “mayutsuba mono,” which means “mayutsuba thing.”)
また、真偽のはっきりしないものや、信用できないものを意味します。
（このとき、よく「眉唾もの」と言われます。）
（このとき、よく「眉唾もの」と言われます。）
This term comes from a superstition that you will not be deceived by foxes or tanuki (raccoon dogs) by putting spit on your eyebrows.
この言葉は、狐や狸に騙されないようにするには眉に唾をつける、という俗信から来ています。
It is believed that foxes deceive people by counting the number of eyebrows of a person, so you can prevent it by spitting on your eyebrows.
狐は人の眉毛の数を数えて化けたりするとされており、眉に唾をつけることでそれを防ぐことができると考えられています。
