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【No. 0969】Zu ga Takai (頭が高い - Haughty)

Aug 13, 2017 15:20
Yesterday, I introduced the Japanese phrase, "me ga takai" (目が高い), the literal meaning of which is "one's eyes are high," and it means that someone has the ability to choose superior things or people.

There are another Japanese idiom, "zu ga takai" (頭が高い), the literal meaning of which is similar to "me ga takai."

The literal meaning of "zu ga takai" is "one's head is high," but the actual meaning is quite different from "me ga takai."

"Zu ga takai" means an attitude looking down someone or being rude.

In Japan, there is a custom that people lower their heads to higher ranking people, and "zu ga takai" implies that he/she doesn't lower his/her head.
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【No. 0968】Me ga Takai (目が高い - Having a Good Eye)

Aug 12, 2017 14:18
There is the Japanese idiom, "me ga takai" (目が高い).

The "me" means "eye," and the "takai" means "high," so the literal meaning of "me ga takai" is "one's eyes are high."

Can you imagine what this idiom actually means?

The answer is that someone has an ability to choose superior things or people.

The etymology is simple -- it's because you can see things well if your eyes would be placed at a high position.

Incidentally, there is fish called "medaka" (メダカ/目高 - killifish) in Japan, and its name comes from the fact that killfish's eyes are high, but it's not related to this idiom.
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【No. 0967】Hara ga Kuroi (腹が黒い - Scheming/Black Heart)

Aug 11, 2017 12:00
The other day, I wrote that most Japanese idioms about "hara" (腹 - stomach) is related to "kokoro" (心 - heart).

For example, there is the idiom "hara ga kuroi / haraguro" (腹が黒い / 腹黒), the literal meaning of which is "one's stomach is black," and it means people who have bad heart.

Some say that this idiom comes from the fact that halfbeak has black stomach, but I think that the black stomach of halfbeak don't related to a bad heart.

Also, there is another theory that it comes from the Japanese myth -- the bad God called "izanami" has black thunder around his belly.

However, in my opinion, it just comes from the fact that stomachs and hearts have close relationship in Japan.
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【No. 0966】Utatane (うたた寝 - Doze/Nap)

Aug 10, 2017 20:33
Recently I often become a state of "utatane" (うたた寝).

"Utatane" means to be about to fall asleep even if you don't want to do so.

The "ne" (寝) of "utatane" means to sleep, but actually, the etymology of the "utata" have yet to be revealed.

Since the "utata" (うたた) can be used as an adverb that means that something progresses steadily and becomes deadly, a theory insists that the "utata" of "utatane" comes from this adverb, and implies that drowsiness progresses.

Another theory insists that the "utata" comes from the onomatopoeia "uto uto," which represents that someone is sleepy.
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【No. 0965】Fukushin (腹心 - Confidant)

Aug 9, 2017 15:05
Do you have a friend or a follower to whom you can talk about your any problem or thought?

Trusting someone deeply like this, or just such a man, is called "fukushin" (腹心) in Japan.

Originally, "fukushin" means literally "stomach and heart" (the "fuku" means "stomach" and the "shin" means "heart"), and it also means "deep inside of one's mind."

Furthermore, it has come to mean that you can trust enough to talk about your heart of hearts, and such trustworthy person.

There are many idioms/terms related to "hara/fuku" (腹 - stomach) in Japan, but most of them are related to "heart/mind."
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【No. 0964】Mizu Gashi (水菓子)

Aug 8, 2017 00:42
"Mizu" (水) means "water," and "kashi/gashi" (菓子) means "sweets" or "snacks."

What do you think is the meaning of "mizugashi" (水菓子), which is made by the two words, "mizu" and "kashi."

Actually, "mizugashi" means "fruits."

In the past, all light foods such as fruits were called "kashi."

Among them, especially succulent fruits such as watermelons or pears has come to be called "mizugashi."

Nowadays, since the word "kudamono" (果物) is mainly used to refer to fruits, the number of Japanese people who think of "mizugashi" as "sweets that contains a lot of water" (such as jelly dessert) is increasing.
(Sweets that contains a lot of water are formally called "namagashi" (生菓子), the literal meaning of which is "fresh/unbaked sweets.")

In fact, even if you search for "mizugashi" on Google Images, it's hard to find fruits.

【No. 0963】Carbonated Water

Aug 7, 2017 13:01
Recently I have come to drink a lot of carbonated water.

Carbonated water, which you might call it sparkling water, is water containing carbon dioxide gas.

The reason why I drink carbonated water is because I want to feel something like coolness.

According to the Internet, there are several advantages and disadvantages about carbonated water.

As the advantages, it can promote blood flow and recover fatigue.

As disadvantages, if you drink it too much, you may feel tired and your body may become swollen.

I'm not sure whether these information is true or false, but indeed I've felt tired recently.

【No. 0962】HoloLens

Aug 6, 2017 15:54
Last week, I bought Microsoft HoloLens by using my research expense.

HoloLens is a head mounted display for MR (Mixed Reality).

Here, MR is a technology to show a new real world in which digital contents are embedded in real time.

You can also say that MR is a technology made by evolving AR (Argmented Reality), which is used in applications such as "Pokémon GO."

For example, since MR considers distances to real objects, virtual objects placed behind obstacles such as a desk would not be displayed on the HoloLens.

It is a very interesting technology, but I feel that it takes some time to get used to use it.
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【No. 0961】Otassha De (お達者で - Look After Yourself)

Aug 5, 2017 15:06
I think that there are various parting greetings in many countries.

The most common one in Japan is "sayōnara" (さようなら - goodbye), but we often say "ogenki de" (お元気で) or "otassha de" (お達者で) for a person who will not meet with us for a long time.

Here, "genki" means that your body condition is good, and "tassha" means that your body is strong.

That is to say, both "ogenki de" and "otassha de" are a phrase that is used to wish for someone's health.
(The "de" here means something like "please be ...")

I like the phrase "otassha de," but nowadays, it's rarely used by young people.
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【No. 0960】Ohiya (お冷 - Cold Water)

Aug 4, 2017 20:49
Yesterday I wrote about a drinking party.

In Japanese drinking spots or Japanese-style bars, we often order "ohiya" (お冷) at the end of the party.

"Ohiya" is composed of the polite prefix "o" (お) and the "hiya" (冷や), meaning "cold," and it usually refers to "cold water."

It was once called as "ohiyashi" (お冷やし), and as used as a polite term that means "mizu" (水 - water) by women in the imperial court.

After the Edo period, it has come to be used regardless of gender, and now it's often used in Japanese-style bars/pubs.

Note that if you omit the prefix "o" and just say "hiya," it will mean cold/room-temperature Japanese sake.
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【No. 0959】Shoki Barai (暑気払い - Beating the Summer Heat)

Aug 3, 2017 13:15
Yesterday, my colleagues and I conducted "shoki barai" (暑気払い).

"Shoki" of "shoki barai" means "heat," and "harai" means to take something off.

Therefore, "shoki barai" literally refers to taking heat that is accumulated in our bodies off by drinking cold drinks or eating cold food in the hot summer.

However, if you say "shoki barai" in our time, it usually means just a banquet or a drinking party that is held for beating the heat, reducing stress, and relieving fatigue.

As far as I know, beer garden etc. are often planned as the "shoki barai."
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【No. 0958】Tsuba (唾 - Saliva)

Aug 2, 2017 17:55
Yesterday, I introduced "yodare" (よだれ), which means saliva dribbling unconsciously from a mouth.

If you want to mention about just saliva in Japanese, you can use the word "daeki" (唾液), but "tsuba" (つば) is often used as a spoken language.

"Tsuba" is a term omitted "ki" from "tsubaki."

"Tsubaki" was originally "tsuhaki" -- "tsu" means "saliva," and "haki" means to spit something.

From this etymology, "tsuba" often refers to saliva spit out from a mouth.

I'm sorry for posting the dirty topic for the second successive day.

Incidentally, now "tsubaki" usually means Camellia that blooms in winter.
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【No. 0957】Yodare (よだれ - Saliva)

Aug 1, 2017 20:37
Today, I found a student who was sleeping while dribbling "yodare" (よだれ).

"Yodare" means saliva dribbling unconsciously from a mouth.

This term was called "yodari" (よだり) or "yotari" (よたり) until the Heian period.

Here, "tari" is a noun form of the verb "taru" (垂る), which means to dribble.

There are several theories about the etymology of "yo" -- one of them is that it comes from "yoyomu," which means to become an old person.

Incidentally, if you say "yodare wo tarasu" (よだれを垂らす - dribbling yodare), it could literally mean to dribble saliva, but it also used as a phrase that means to have a hunger to eat/do something.
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【No. 0956】Ageashi wo Toru (揚げ足を取る - Catching Someone Tripping)

Jul 31, 2017 16:46
In most cases, people don't like a person who often blame or tell a joke about someone's minor mistake or fluff.

Such an action is called "ageashi wo toru" (揚げ足を取る) or "ageashi tori" (揚げ足取り) in Japan.

The literal meaning of "ageashi wo toru" is "picking a raised foot up."

Here, "ageashi," which was translated into "a raised foot," refers to a foot when attacking an opponent in judo or sumo.

If you pick someone's raised foot up, you can defeat him/her, so "ageashi wo toru" has come to the current meaning.
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【No. 0955】Debu (でぶ - Fat)

Jul 30, 2017 13:46
Recently I might have become a little bit "debu" (でぶ),

"Debu" is a slang term that refers to a fat person or animal, and is often used as an ironic expression.

The most accepted theory about its etymology is that the onomatopoeia, "deppuri" (でっぷり), which means fat, chenged to "debu debu" (でぶでぶ), and finally became "debu."

There are other theories, for example, one of them is that "double chin" changed to "debu chin" (でぶちん), then changed to "debu."

Please be careful not to say "debu" to other people inconsiderately.
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【No. 0954】Gamushara (がむしゃら - Headlong)

Jul 29, 2017 14:50
Have you ever taken an adventurous action towards a purpose?

Such an action is called "gamushara" (がむしゃら) in Japan.

This term is composed of "gamusha" (がむしゃ) and the suffix "ra" (ら).

"Gamusha" is written as "我武者" in kanji, and its literal meaning is "self-assertive samurai," so this is often thought as the etymology of "gamushara."

Besides, there are several theories about the etymology of "gamushara," for example, it comes from "gamusho," which means to feel an irresistible desire to do something, or "musha kusha," which is a onomatopoeia that refers to something uncomfortable and restless.
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【No. 0953】Natsu (夏 - Summer)

Jul 28, 2017 19:22
In the northern hemisphere, "natsu" (夏) has approached.

"Natsu" is a kind of seasons, and it can be translated as summer in English.

Astronomically "natsu" is defined the period between the summer solstice and the autumn equinox, but in Japan, it usually means three months -- June, July and August.

There are several theories about the etymology of "natsu," such as that is comes from "atsui" (暑い - hot) or "netsu" (熱 - heat), but the truth remains to be identified.

Needless to say, natsu (summer) is the season when people become the most active in the year for many countries.

In Japan, various events like summer festivals and fireworks festivals will be held.
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【No. 0951】Nashi no Tsubute (梨の礫 - Getting No Reply)

Jul 26, 2017 09:29
Have you ever received no reply/response after you give a letter or try to make contact?

If you don't get any response like this situation, it is called "nashi no tsubute" (梨の礫) in Japan.

"Tsubute" of "nashi no tsubute" means a pebble that is mainly used as throwing weapon.

Since thrown pebbles (tsubute) never come back to your hand, getting no reply has come to be called "nashi no tsubute."

"Nashi" of "nashi no tsubute" use the kanji, "梨," which means a kind of fruits, "Pyrus pyrifolia," but it just a metaphor for "nashi" (無し), which means nothing.
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【No. 0950】Hi no Kuruma (火の車 - Dire Straits)

Jul 25, 2017 11:12
I am in a little bad economic situation now.

If your household economy becomes extremely terrible, the situation will be called "hi no kuruma" (火の車).

"Hi" (火) means "fire," and "kuruma" (車) means "car," so "hi no kuruma" means a burning car.

Also, "hi no kuruma" (火の車) comes from "kasya" (火車), which is a Buddhist term.

"Kasya" also means a burning car, and it is used when Gokusotsu (prison guard) ogres in hell carry a dead person who committed a crime.

Since criminals put in the burning car would suffer terribly, "hi no kuruma" has come to mean a difficult economic situation.
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【No. 0949】Ashi ga Hayai (足が早い - Spoil Rapidly)

Jul 24, 2017 23:13
I bought a Costco's new cake, "Strawberry Trifle" yesterday.

Since cakes are "ashi ga hayai" (足が早い), I have to eat all of them by tomorrow.

Here, the literal meaning of "ashi ga hayai" is that something's legs are quick, and it means that food or something is spoil quickly.

"Ashi" (legs/feet) could represent changes in movements or states of things, and perishable things change quickly (hayai - 早い), so they have come to be called "ashi ga hayai."

Also, based on the same etymology, "ashi ga hayai" can mean that a product or something sells fairly well.