Chōda no Retsu (長蛇の列 – Very Long Line)
Chōda no Retsu
長蛇の列
A very long waiting queue can be described as chōda no retsu (長蛇の列) in Japanese.
とても長々と続く行列のことを、「長蛇の列」といいます。
Since chō (長) means “long,” da (蛇) means “snake,” and retsu (列) means “line/queue,” the literal meaning of chōda no retsu is “long snake’s line.”
「長」は “long”、「蛇」は “snake”、「列」は “line/queue” を意味するので、「長蛇の列」の文字どおりの意味は “long snake’s line” となります。
This term was coined from the fact that a very long line looks like a big and long snake.
長々と続く行列は、まるで大きくて長い蛇のようであることから、この表現が生まれました。
For example, you can say mōsho no tame, aisu-ya ni chōda no retsu ga dekita (猛暑のためアイス屋に長蛇の列ができた – “Since it was an extremely hot day, many people lined up in front of the ice cream shop.”).
例えば、「猛暑のため、アイス屋に長蛇の列ができた」のように使うことができます。
