Sode wo Nurasu
In Japan, there have been a lot of expressions that use word association since ancient times.
袖を濡らす
For example, in the Heian Period people often said “sode wo nurasu” instead of “naku,” which means to cry.
日本では古くより、連想を使った間接的な表現が多く使われます。
The literal meaning of “sode wo nurasu” is to wet your sleeve — since people wiped tears with their sleeves, wet sleeves symbolized tears.
例えば平安時代に、人々は「泣く」ことを「袖を濡らす」と表現していました。
There is a similar expression, “sode wo siboru,” the literal meaning of which is to wring your sleeve.
当時は流れた涙を袖でぬぐっていたため、袖が濡れるということは涙を流したということに等しいというわけです。
It implies that your sleeve gets so wet that you can wring it by hand.
さらにひどく悲しんで泣くさまをいう表現に、「袖を絞る」というものがあります。
Incidentally, since pillows have become commonly used, the expression “makura wo nurasu” (to wet your pillow) has also come to be used to mean to cry.
絞ることができるほど涙で袖が濡れてしまっていることを表しています。
