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【No. 1058】Dasai (ダサい - Uncool)

Nov 10, 2017 15:52
There is the Japanese adjective word (slang expression), "dasai" (ダサい), which means "uncool" or "countrified."

This word has been used among young people in the Kanto region since the 1970s, but the exact etymology hasn't been clarified.

One of the most accepted theories about the etymology is that it comes from "inaka" (田舎), which means "countryside."

The theory says that the kanji of the noun "inaka" (田舎) can be read as "dasha" by the Chinese reading, and it changed to an adjective by adding "i" (い).

Another theory says that it comes from "datte saitama dakara" (だって埼玉だから - Because it's Saitama), which is a phrase for ridiculing Saitana citizens by Tokyo citizens.
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【No. 1057】Ookina Osewa (大きなお世話 - None of Your Business)

Nov 9, 2017 13:21
There is a Japanese term, "ookina osewa" (大きなお世話).

Here the "ookina" (大きな) means "big," and the "osewa" (お世話) means "care" or "favor."

You might think that the combination "ookina osewa" has some kind of good meanings.

However, it means "unnecessary care" or "unwelcome favor," and is used when you want to refuse someone's favor/act.

In addition, since this term is usually used containing an ironic meaning, please be careful when you use it.

If you want to say it in English, you can say "None of your business" or "Leave me alone."
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【No. 1056】Dogimo wo Nuku (度肝を抜く - Surprising the Hell out of Someone )

Nov 8, 2017 13:01
Have you ever surprised the hell out of someone?

This action is sometimes called "dogimo wo nuku" (度肝を抜く) in Japanese.

The "kimo/gimo" (肝) originally means "liver," but it can also mean "heart" or "soul."

Also, the "do" (度) is a prefix for emphasising the following word, and the "nuku" (抜く) means "to pull something out."

Therefore, the literal meaning of "dogimo wo nuku" is "to pull someone's heart out," and it implies that you surprise someone enough to pull the heart out.

If you want to mean just "to surprise someone" in Japanese, you can say "odorokasru" (驚かせる).
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【No. 1055】Hashoru (端折る - Shortening)

Nov 7, 2017 10:50
To shorten and organize something is called "hashoru" (はしょる) in Japanese.

"Hashoru" comes from "hashioru," which is written in kanji as "端折る."

Here the "hashi" (端) means "edge," and the "oru" (折る) means "to fold."

Therefore, this term originally meant an action of folding a hem of kimono (traditional Japanese clothes) and putting it into obi (kimono's belt-like accessory).

The meaning has been extended, and these days it is often used to mean to shorten an explanation or a story.

Note that "hashoru" is sometimes regarded as oral language or an slang term.

If you want to say it more formally, use the verb "shōryaku-suru" (省略する).
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【No. 1054】Suna wo Kamu (砂を噛む)

Nov 6, 2017 17:22
There is a Japanese phrase, "suna wo kamu youna omoi" (砂を噛むような思い).

The "suna" (砂) means "sand," the "kamu" means "to bite," and the "omoi" means "feeling," so the literal meaning of the combination is "feeling like biting sand."

Can you guess how this phrase is used?

Today, I will show you three choices, so please think about which one is correct.

A. Extremely frustrating feeling.

B. Feeling that something isn't interesting.

C. Feeling that everything is happy.

This term represents that you feel things are dull because it has no taste.

Therefore, the correct answer is the second choice.
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【No. 1053】Kaze (風/風邪 - Wind/Cold)

Nov 5, 2017 15:09
The Japanese word "kaze" has two different meanings; "wind" (風) and "(common) cold" (風邪), and both are often used in daily conversation.

The "ka" of "kaze" means a movement of the atmosphere, and "ze" means wind, so originally "kaze" meant either of them.

The reason why it has come to mean a cold (a kind of illness) is because the illness could spread due to the movement of the atmosphere or the wind.

You can use "kaze" (風 - wind) like: "Kaze ga fuku" (風が吹く - The wind blows), or "Kaze ga tsumetai" (風が冷たい - The wind is cold).

You can use "kaze" (風邪 - cold) like: "Kaze wo hiku" (風邪をひく - I get a cold), or "Kaze wo utsusareru" (風邪をうつされる - I pick up a cold).
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【No. 1052】Naraku no Soko (奈落の底- Abyss)

Nov 4, 2017 14:42
A severe situation that you can't turn around is called "naraku no soko" (奈落の底) in Japanese.

The "naraku" (奈落) comes from a Buddhism term (Sanskrit language), "naraka," which means "hell," and the "soko" (底) means "bottom."
("Naraka" was translated into Chinese as "奈落" (naraku), and it has also come to be used in Japan.)

Therefore, "naraku no soko" originally means "the bottom of hell," and now it can mean "rock bottom" or "severe situation that you can't turn around."

For example, it's used as "naraku no soko ni ochiru" (奈落の底に落ちる - I fall into a bottomless pit).
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【No. 1051】Chaban (茶番 - Farce)

Nov 3, 2017 18:15
Nonsense plays, theatrical behavior, and ridiculous acts are called "chaban" (茶番) or "chaban-geki" (茶番劇) in Japan.
(Here the "geki" (劇) means "drama/play.")

"Chaban" is short for "chaban kyogen" (茶番狂言 - chaban comedic drama), which means a traditional short comedic drama using accessible things by poor actors or amateurs.

The literal meaning of "cha" (茶) means "tea," and the "ban" (番) means "role," so "chaban" originally meant waiting staff who serve tea.

Since they often performed "kyogen" (狂言 - short comedic drama) as a sideshow of Kabuki (traditional Japanese drama performed by male actors), it came to be called "chaban kyogen," and it has come to have the current meaning.
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【No. 1050】Chienetsu (知恵熱)

Nov 2, 2017 10:52
There is a Japanese term "chienetsu" (知恵熱), which is often used incorrectly.

The "chie" (知恵) means "wisdom," and the "netsu" (熱) means "fever," but can you guess the meaning of the combination, "chienetsu?"

"Chienetsu" means unexplained fever found in infants in half a year to a year after birth.

The etymology comes from the fact that this symptom occurs when infants start to get wisdom.

However, it's often used incorrectly to mean "fever due to an excessive use of one's head."

Incidentally, this fever is referred to as "teething fever" in English because it occurs when teeth begin to grow.
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【No. 1049】Otona Gai (大人買い - Buying a Large Amount of Something)

Nov 1, 2017 17:13
When I was a child, I wanted to do "otona gai" (大人買い) someday.

The "otona" (大人) means "adult," and "gai" (買い) means "to buy," but it's by no means a illegal thing like "to buy an adult."

"Otona gai" means to buy a lot of blind package products that contains toys or cards at once.

Of course, these products are sold for children, so basically they are cheap ones that shouldn't be purchased a lot at once.

However, if you are an adult, you can buy a large quantity of these products by the power of money.

Because of this, such an act has come to be called "otona gai," and now it is also used to mean just "bulk buying" for general products.
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【No. 1048】Pīman (ピーマン - Green Pepper)

Oct 31, 2017 11:12
Do you know what "green pepper" is called in Japanese?

As I wrote in this title, it's "pīman" (ピーマン).

This word comes from a French "piment" (or a Spanish "pimento"), which means "chilli pepper."

When it was brought to Japan, the term was slightly misunderstood, and we have come to call mild peppers (green/bell peppers) "pīman."

Although "pīman" comes from French, it is called "poivron" in French.

Incidentally, since "pīman" is written in katakana and has no kanji, most Japanese people understand that this is a loanword.

However, if a Japanese regard "pīman" as English and say something like "I like pīman (pee man)," he may be considered as a strange person.
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【No. 1047】Kegirai (毛嫌い - Dislike)

Oct 30, 2017 13:01
Is there something that you don't like instinctively without any specific reason.

In Japan, we use a verb "kirai" (嫌い) when meaning to dislike something, and if there is no clear reason for the feeling of the dislike, we will say "kegirai" by adding "ke" (毛), meaning "hair."

This term comes from the fact that beasts and birds (especially females) choose heterosexual ones depending on the hair/coats.

For example, it's used like the following:

"Seiji wo kegirai suru" (政治を毛嫌いする - I hate politics anyway).

"Josei ni kegirai sareru" (女性に毛嫌いされる - I'm disliked by women with no reason (actually there might be some reasons though)).
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【No. 1046】Shinotsuku Ame (篠突く雨 - Intense Rain)

Oct 29, 2017 16:59
Unfortunately, today's weather is "shinotsuku ame" (篠突く雨).

"Shinotsuku ame" means a pelting rain as much as it could pierce the ground.

The "shino" (篠) is "shinodake" (篠竹), which means small bamboo, and the "tsuku" (突く) means "prod."

Therefore "shinotsuku" (篠突く) means that you gather small bamboos and prod them to the ground.

Also, the "ame" means "rain."

That is to say, "shinotsuku ame" implies a strong and high density rain like gathered small bamboos.

Although this is a little old-fashioned term and is not used much now, I think that you will be cool if you can use it appropriately.
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【No. 1045】Lunchmate Syndrome

Oct 28, 2017 20:06
These days in Japan, "lunchmate syndrome" has become a problem.

Lunchmate syndrome is a symptom that causes a kind of anxiety or fear when there is no people to eat together at your school or workplace.

It's thought that people with this symptom think something like the following:

"A person who eats alone has no friends. The reason is because he/she is unattractive and valueless."

These people really don't want others to see the scene of having a meal alone -- some of them eat the meal in a restroom (this act is called "benjo-meshi" (便所飯 - a meal in a restroom)), and some give up on the meal.
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【No. 1044】Gorioshi (ゴリ押し - Bulldozing)

Oct 27, 2017 18:57
To push one's opinion or way through forcely is called "gorioshi" (ゴリ押し) in Japanese.

The "gori" (ゴリ) means a kind of fish, and the "oshi" (押し) means to push.

Gori are freshwater fish living on the bottom of the river, and they stick to rocks of the bottom using their sucker-like abdominal fins.

In order to capture these gori, first people fix a net on the bottom of the river.

Then several people make a circle, and force gori to move to above the net.

This fishing method is called "gorioshi ryo" (ゴリ押し漁 - gorioshi fishing), and as you can guess, this is the etymology of "gorioshi."
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【No. 1043】A Desperate Japanese Homonym

Oct 26, 2017 21:23
Since Japanese has few sounds, there are so many homonyms.

Among them, the homonym that has the most number of different meanings is "koushou" (こうしょう).

Amazingly, "koushou" has 48 different meanings.

It is very hard for anyone to use all of them well in conversation, but fortunately the most common meanings of "koushou" are just the following three:

"交渉," meaning "negotiation."

"高尚," meaning "elegance."

"校章," meaning "school seal."

In my opinion, other meanings of "kosho" are professional or very formal, so they're not usually used.
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【No. 1042】Tonton Byōshi (とんとん拍子 - Swimmingly)

Oct 25, 2017 12:15
I often use the Japanese term "tonton byōshi" (とんとん拍子), when things go as I want them to.

The "tonton" (とんとん) of "tonton byōshi" is an onomatopoeia that represents the sound of stepping on the floor rhythmically while aligning with clapping of his/her teacher.

Therefore, just "tonton" can mean that things go well, but this term also has other meanings, such as the sound of hitting something or that profits/losses between two are the same.

If you add the term "byōshi" (拍子), which means rhythm, it can clearly mean that things go as you expect.

For example, you can use it like "Kōshō ga tonton byōshi ni susumu" (交渉がとんとん拍子に進む - The negociation is going along swimmingly).
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【No. 1041】Imoppoi (いもっぽい - Countrified)

Oct 24, 2017 10:01
When I watch TV shows or the Internet, I sometimes hear the term "imoppoi" (いもっぽい) or "imokusai" (いも臭い).

The "imo" means "potato," and the literal meanings of "imoppoi" and "imokusai" are "it's like a potato" and "it smells like potatoes," respectively.

Both of them are used as insults, and they actually mean "it's countrified" or "it's dowdy."
(These days they are also used to mean just "it's not cool.")

It's thought that these terms were born by imagining foul potatoes in the soil.

They're sometimes used like "imoi" (いもい) for short.

Incidentally, in video games or something, you can hear the verb form "imoru" (いもる), which means to withdraw into his/her own territory and do nothing.
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【No. 1040】Noraneko (野良猫 - Stray Cat)

Oct 23, 2017 13:24
There are many "noraneko" (野良猫) in Japan.

Norameko means a cat that lives in the human living area and is not owned by a particular person.

Here the "nora" (野良) means "field," and "neko" (猫) means "cat."

Also, if the cat becomes a wild animal outside the sphere of human habitation, it will called "noneko" (野猫).

Incidentally, if the noraneko has a bad habit such as stealing something belongs to human beings, the cat will be called "doraneko" (どら猫).

The national Japanese manga/anime "doraemon" (ドラえもん) comes from the doraneko.
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【No. 1039】Ohayo (おはよう - Good Morning)

Oct 22, 2017 11:27
The most common morning greeting in Japan is "ohayo" (おはよう).

If you want to say it more politely, you can say "ohayo gozaimasu" (おはようございます).

It is said that "ohayo" comes from Kabuki (traditional Japanese dance-drama performed by male actors).

In Kabuki, actors reached a dressing room at a much earlier time than the performance time due to makeup and practice.

People who had background roles said words of consolation to the actors, just something like "ohayai shukkin gokuro samadesu" (お早い出勤ご苦労様です - Thank you for your erarly attendance), and it has come to be "ohayo."

Because of this, in some occupations on a round-the-clock basis, "ohayo" is used through all day as an attendance greeting.