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【No. 1241】Gebahyō (下馬評 - Whispering)

May 12, 2018 15:14
Rumors or reputation by unrelated people is called gebahyō (下馬評) in Japanese.

Since ge (下) means "to dismount" and ba (馬) means "horse," the literal meaning of geba is "to dismount one's horse."

In the Edo period, before entering a premise of a catsle or a shrine, visitors had to dismount their horses at a place called gebasaki (下馬先 - a geba place) in front of the gate.

After the visitor entered the castle or shrine, accompanied people gossiped and rumored about various things while waiting at gebasaki.

Because of this, gebahyō (下馬評 - geba reputation) has come to have the current meaning.
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【No. 1240】Keshikaran (けしからん - Disgraceful)

May 11, 2018 16:30
We say keshikaran (けしからん) when expressing that something is contrary to reason or disgraceful.

Keshi (けし) means that something is abnormal, and karan (からん) came from karazu (からず), which is a negative word.

Therefore, keshikaran means that something is not just abnormal, it is extremely abnormal.

This term tends to be used by senior men.

However, these days on the Internet, people (especially young people) sometimes use keshikaran for sexually women or cute gestures of animals as the meaning of "it's too sexy/cute."
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【No. 1239】Keshikakeru (けしかける - Inciting)

May 10, 2018 19:45
When you flatter or encourage someone and attempt to get him/her to do what you want, your act is expressed as keshikakeru (けしかける) in Japanese.

Originally, this verb meant to make animals such as dogs head towards something.

Keshi "けし" was a shout that is used when inciting hunting dogs, and people shouted "keshi!" when finding chases.

Also, kakeru (かける) means to give someone your voice or act.

Because of this, people had come to use the verb "keshikakeru" when inciting dogs, and it has come to be used for people since the Edo period.
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【No. 1237】Tsume no Aka wo Senjite Nomu (爪の垢を煎じて飲む - Taking a Lesson from Someone)

May 8, 2018 15:31
I think that many people want to model after an excellent person and become a person like him/her.

Such an act or thought is expressed as tsume no aka wo senjite nomu (爪の垢を煎じて飲む) in Japanese.

Tsume (爪) means "nail," aka (垢) means "grim" or "dirt," senjite (煎じて) means "to brew something," and nomu (飲む) means "to drink something."

Therefore, the literal meaning of this proverb is "to brew someone's nail jam and drink it," but of course we don't such a thing and there is no meaning to drink it.

This proverb represents the feeling that people want to approach and model after an excellent person even a little by extracting a part of the person and drinking it.
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【No. 1236】Tsume ni Hi wo Tomosu (爪に火をともす - Scrimp and Scrape)

May 7, 2018 16:21
Yesterday, I introduced you to the Japanese proverb related to tsume (爪 - nail/claw), which has a good meaning.

Today I would like to talk about the proverb tsume ni hi wo tomosu (爪に火をともす), which has a bad meaning.

Since tsume means "nail," hi means "fire," tomosu means "to light/burn something," the literal meaning of this proverb is "to light one's nail on fire."

A person who ignites his/her nails (or oil contained in nail dirt) instead of oil or candles must be very stingy or extremely frugal.

Because of this, this proverb represents an act of a very stingy/frugal person.

However, even if you light your nails on fire, it will not be a substitute for a candle; furthermore, it will give off a terrible odor.
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【No. 1235】Nou aru Taka wa Tsume wo Kakusu (能ある鷹は爪を隠す - He who Knows most Speaks least)

May 6, 2018 16:01
Today I would like to introduce you to the popular Japanese proverb, nou aru taka wa tsume wo kakusu (能ある鷹は爪を隠す).

Nou aru (能ある) means "capable," taka (鷹) means "hawk," tsume (爪) means "nail/claw," and kakusu (隠す) means "to hide something."

That is to say, the literal meaning of this proverb is "A capable hawk hides the claws."

In fact, a capable hawk hides the sharp claws so that prey doesn't understand the situation.

On the other hand, a capable person doesn't brag or brandish the ability lightly.

This proverb is a kind of compliments, which likens such a capable person to a capable hawk.
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【No. 1234】Tsume (爪 - Nail)

May 5, 2018 15:58
I always cut my tsume before I go snowboarding.

A tsume is a kind of plate-like tissue formed by changing the horny layer on the tips of the fingers and toes; it is called "nail" in English.

It is said that this word comes from tsuma (端), which means a corner or an edge of something.

The tsume is written as 爪 in kanji; note that this is not 瓜 (uri), which means a gourd.

There are a lot of Japanese proverbs and idioms that use the word tsume.

I would like to tell you them from tomorrow.
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【No. 1233】Midori no Hi (みどりの日 - Greenery Day)

May 4, 2018 19:48
Today is Midori no Hi (みどりの日).

Midori no Hi is a national holiday in Japan, and the purpose of the day is to commune with nature, appreciate its blessings, and feed our minds.

Midori means "green" and hi means "day."

In the past, May 4th was a holiday without a specific name, which was just sandwiched between Kenpō Kinenbi (憲法記念日 - Constitution Memorial Day) and Kodomo no Hi (こどもの日 - Children's Day).
(In Japan, a day between national holidays also becomes a holiday.)

From 1989 to 2006, Midori no Hi was April 29th, but it has moved to May 4th since 2007.

Since April 29th was originally the birthday of the Emperor Shōwa, the day is now a national holiday called Shōwa Day.
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【No. 1232】Tsukinami (月並み - Cut-and-Dried)

May 3, 2018 19:42
When something is ordinary or common and boring, it is called tsukinami (月並み) in Japanese.

Tsuki (月) means "month," nami (並み/並) means "to line up" or "ordinary," and tsukinami was originally meant "monthly" or "monthly event."

In the Bunka era, people started an event called tsukinami ku awase (月並句合 - monthly haiku gathering), which gathered haiku (俳句 - Japanese seventeen-syllable poem) and published excellent ones; this event exploded in populartity.

In the Edo period, Shiki MASAOKA (正岡子規 - famous Japanese haiku writer) criticized ordinary and boring haiku made in this event as tsuinami chō (月並調 - tsukinami rhythm), so tsukinami has come to have the current meaning.

【Example centence】
Kare no supīchi wa tsukinami datta (彼のスピーチは月並みだった - His speech was cut-and-dried).
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【No. 1231】Ruru (縷々 - At Great Length)

May 2, 2018 21:47
Have you ever heard of the Japanese word ruru (縷々) ?

It is not ruru (ルル), which is a popular cold medicine in Japan.

Ruru (縷々) means that you explain something at great length or something continues as a trickle.

The ru (縷) in ruru (縷々) means a very thin thread.

By adding 々 (which is called odoriji (踊り字)), the ru is repeated, and ruru implies that thin things continue.

I think that there are not many Japanese people who can use this word in daily life.

【Example sentences】
・Taishoku no riyu wo ruru noberu (退職の理由を縷々述べる - I describe the reasons for retirement at great length).
・Ruru toshite kemuri ga tati agatteiru (縷々として煙が立ち上がっている - Smoke is rising thinly).
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【No. 1230】Teshio ni Kakeru (手塩にかける - Raising with Tender Care)

May 1, 2018 16:20
Have you experienced raising or cherishing a child, an animal, or a plant by your own hands?

There is a saying for this in Japanese: teshi ni kakeru (手塩にかける).

The te in teshio means "hand," the shio means "salt," and ni kakeru means "to sprinkle something."

In the past in Japan, people had a meal with each zen (膳 - small dining table), and a small amount of salt to adjust the taste of the meal was put on it.

(It is thought that originally this salt was put to purify the zen.)

This salt was called teshio (手塩), and people adjusted the seasoning by sprinkling the salt by their own hands, so teshio ni kakeru has come to mean that you raise something carefully by yourself.

【Example sentences】
・Musume wo teshio ni kakete sodateta (娘を手塩にかけて育てた - I fostered/cherished my daughter carefully.)
・Teshio ni kakete sodaterareta yasai wa oishii (手塩にかけて育てられた野菜は美味しい - Vegetables raised by hand are delicious.)
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【No. 1229】Kuwazu Girai (食わず嫌い - Having a Prejudice)

Apr 30, 2018 21:41
Are there any foods you don't like?

Do you know the actual taste of the food?

If you dislike the food though you have never tasted it, you will be called kuwazu girai (食わず嫌い) in Japanese.

Kuwazu means "not eat" and girai means "dislike" or "hate."

That is to say, kuwazu girai literally means that although you've never eaten the food, you dislike it.

Also, this term can be used not only foods but also things, such as when someone hates something with prejudiced eyes.

【Example sentences】
・Kuwazu girai wo sezu, natto wo tabete minayo (食わず嫌いをせず、納豆を食べてみなよ - Don't say you dislike natto without eating, just try it.)
・Saikin no ongaku wa kuwazu girai de, mattaku kiite inai (最近の音楽は食わず嫌いで、全く聴いていない - Since I have a prejudice against recent music, I haven't listened to them.)
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【No. 1228】Gochisō (ご馳走 - Feast)

Apr 29, 2018 20:39
I have not been eating gochisō lately.

Go (ご) of gochisō is a polite prefix, and chisō (馳走) means delicious cuisine, feast, or serving someone a meal.

Since chi (馳) means to run or ride a horse and sō (走) means to run, originally chisō meant to run or ride a horse to prepare a meal for visitors.

Later, the meaning changed to just serve/treat someone, or delicious cuisine.

Incidentally, gochiōsama, a greeting after eating, was made by adding the honorific word sama (さま), and it has been used since the Edo period.
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【No. 1227】Zyakkan (弱冠 - Tender Age)

Apr 28, 2018 16:24
When expressing a "20-years-old boy" or a "young person," you can use the term zyakkan (弱冠).

Zyakkan was derived from a system in Zhou.

In the past in China, a 20-years-old boy was called 弱, which means young; then he celebrated his coming of age and wore a 冠, which means a crown.

Therefore, zyakkan (弱冠) originally meant a 20-years-old boy, but these days it is usually used to mean a young person.

For example, you can say 彼は弱冠18歳で世界記録を出した (Kare wa zyakkan 18-sai de sekaikiroku wo dashita - He got a world record at only 18 years old) or 彼女は弱冠30歳で教授になった (Kanojo wa zyakkan 30-sai de kyoju ni natta - She became a professor at the age of mere 30).

There is the other Japanese term 若干, which has the same reading as 弱冠, but note that the meaning is quite different -- zyakkan (若干) means that the amount of something is small.
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【No. 1226】Science of Akubi (あくび - Yawn)

Apr 27, 2018 14:52
Yesterday I talked about the Japanese word "akubi" (あくび), which means "yawn."

Actually, no one has yet elucidated the mechanism of yawning.

Gordon at the State University of New York at Albany et al. has indicated an intriguing possibility that we yawn to control/cool our brains.

Also, it is known that yawning is sympathetic or contagious regardless of species, but no one has yes clarified the reason.

Anderson at the University of Stirling et al. has proposed a theory that the yawn could be an instinctual signal to inform the time to sleep among animals.

Incidentally, note that if you yawn a lot in a day, you could be sick.
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【No. 1225】Akubi (あくび - Yawn)

Apr 26, 2018 14:30
When you are drowsy or feel boring, you will take an act called an akubi (あくび) involuntarily.

An akubi is a kind of breathing, which you draw in a deep breath and blow out a shallow breath -- it is called a "yawn" in English.

It is considered that the term akubi comes from an old Japanese word.

There are two accepted theories about its origin -- one is that it comes from the verb akubu (欠くぶ), which means to yawn, and the other is that it comes from the verb akubu (飽くぶ), which means to get bored with something.

"Akubi" is usually written in kanji as "欠伸," but sometimes it is written just as "欠."

The kanji "欠" is a hieroglyphic that represents a person who open his/her mouth wide, and it has the meaning of "yawn"

The kanji "伸"means to stretch oneself, so the kanji expression "欠伸" implies that a person yawns while stretching.
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【No. 1224】Makura (枕 - Pillow)

Apr 25, 2018 20:36
A few days ago, I bought a makura (枕 - pillow) with a futon (布団 - Japanese bedding).

A makura is a tool to support your head when going to bed, and the general one is made by packing cotton or feathers in a cloth bag.

There are several theories about the etymology of the makura.

One theory said that the word tamakura (たまくら) was born because the pillow was considered as tamashii no kura (魂の蔵 - where to place a soul), then it changed to makura.

Another theory says that the makura (間座 - another kanji for makura) was born because it is a kura (座 - supporting tool) for a ma (間 - space) between your head and the futon.

Incidentally, interestingly, makuras (pillows) are used in almost everyone regardless of country or culture.
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【No. 1223】Mannendoko (万年床 - Unmade Bedding)

Apr 24, 2018 21:39
Yesterday, I introduced you to the Japanese bedding called "futon" (布団).

Japanese people usually put away or air out futons after waking up -- we don't leave the futons spread out.

However, some lazy people may leave futons as they are.

Such a state of futons is called "mannendoko" (万年床) in Japanese, and it is abhorred due to the hygiene perspective.

"Mannen" (万年) means "ten thousand years" and "doko/toko" means "floor" or "bed."

That is to say, "mannnendoko" implies a futon (Japanese bedding) that is left for a long time.
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【No. 1222】Futon (布団 - Japanese Bedding)

Apr 23, 2018 20:18
Yesterday I bought a "futon" (布団).

A "futon" is a kind of bedding made of cotton or feathers and is very common in Japan.

Originally, the kanji of "futon" (布団) was written as "蒲団," and "futon" meant a round rug made by weaving leaves of cattails for Zen sitting meditation.

("蒲" means leaves of cattails and "団" means circle.)

In the Edo period, it began to create larger "futons" made of cloth or cotton, and they have come to be used as not only rugs but also bedding.

Since leaves of cattails were no longer used in that period, the kanji "蒲" was changed to "布," which means "cloth."

Currently, "futon" (布団) has come to mean usually bedding, whereas rugs for sitting have come to be called "zabuton" (座布団) by adding "za" (座 - sitting).
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【No. 1220】Shinkiro (蜃気楼 - Mirage)

Apr 21, 2018 17:24
When there is a density difference in the atmosphere, light could be significantly refracted.

In such a case, you may see something that doesn't exist, floating buildings, or upside down scenery.

This phenomenon is referred to as "mirage" in English, whereas we call it "shinkiro" (蜃気楼).

"Shin" (蜃) of "shinkiro" means "big clam," "ki" (気) means "breath," and "楼" means "high buildings."

In the past in China, people thought that non-existence high buildings were drawn by a breath of a big clam. Because of this, such a phenomenon has been called "shinkiro."