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【No. 1801】Me to Hana no Saki (目と鼻の先 - Stone's Throw)

Apr 2, 2021 16:19
Me to Hana no Saki

To describe a very close distance, Japanese people sometimes say me to hana no saki (目と鼻の先).

Me (目) means "eye," hana (鼻) means "nose," and saki (先) means "point," so the literal meaning of me to hana no saki is "the point between one's eyes and nose."

Since one's eyes and nose are close, this phrase actually represents that something is very close.

You can also use aida (間 - "span") instead of saki, and say me to hana no aida (目と鼻の間).

【No. 1802】Bon Misu (凡ミス - Careless Mistake)

Apr 2, 2021 17:44
Bon Misu

I made a bon misu (凡ミス) of deleting my post today.

Since bon (凡) means "ordinary" or "common," and misu (ミス) comes from the English term "mistake," the literal meaning of bon misu is "common mistake."

However, the actual meanin of bon misu is closer to "careless mistake" than to "common mistake."

"Careless mistake" can be translated into Japanese as kearesu misu (ケアレスミス) or ukkari misu (うっかりミス) instead of bon misu.

In my opinion, bon misu has the most stupid nuance among the above translations.
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【No. 1800】Ningen-waza (人間業 - Human Work)

Mar 31, 2021 17:16
Ningen-waza

Some words are always used in negative sentences.

Ningen-waza (人間業) is one of them.

Since ningen (人間) means "human" and waza (業) means "work", ningen-waza literally means "human work."

Basically, this word is used in sentences like ningen-waza de wa nai (人間業ではない - literally "It is not human work") or ningen-waza to wa omoe-nai (人間業とは思えない - literally "I can't believe it is human work"), which represent that it is beyond human power.

To represent the same thing as above, you can say kamiwaza (神業 - literally "godlike work") by using the term kami (神 - "god").
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【No. 1799】Tamago Kake Gohan (卵かけご飯 - Egg on Rice) Part 3

Mar 30, 2021 11:00
Tamago Kake Gohan Part 3

There are restaurants that specialize in "egg on rice" in Japan.

In these restaurants, you can eat luxurious and delicious egg on rice that is made with fresh eggs, high-quality rice, and fine soy sauce.

Egg on rice is usually served as a set meal, and the set meal usually contains miso soup and pickles. Also, free refills are provided in some restaurants.

Additionally, some restaurants serve high-priced egg on rice with expensive ingredients, such as truffles and sea urchins.

If you are interested, please try it sometime.

Incidentally, tamago kake gohan (egg on rice) is sometimes called "TKG" for short.
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【No. 1798】Tamago Kake Gohan (卵かけご飯 - Egg on Rice) Part 2

Mar 29, 2021 18:55
Tamago Kake Gohan Part 2

One of the reasons that "egg on rice" is popular in Japan is the thorough hygiene management for raw eggs.

For all eggs sold in Japan, the expiration date and egg gathering information are printed on the shells (or stickers put on the shells) based on the Food Sanitation Act.

The printed expiration date printed on an egg refers to the time limit for eating it raw and safely, which is usually about two to three weeks from the collection date.

When exceeding the expiration date, salmonella, which causes food poisoning, could infest, so it is dangerous to eat the raw egg.

However, since salmonella is weak against heat, you can eat the egg safely if you heat it enough.
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【No. 1797】Tamago Kake Gohan (卵かけご飯 - Egg on Rice) Part 1

Mar 28, 2021 17:45
Tamago Kake Gohan Part 1

Japanese people often eat tamago kake gohan (卵かけご飯).

Tamago (卵) means "egg," kake (かけ) means "put on," gohan (ご飯) means "rice," and tamago kake gohan literally means "egg (put) on rice."

It is a very simple dish in which a raw egg is stirred with soy sauce and is put on rice.

Some foreigners may be reluctant to eat raw eggs because of the risk of food poisoning.

However, hygiene management for eggs is strictly conducted in Japan, so there is almost no risk of food poisoning.

To be continued.
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【No. 1796】Chi mo Namida mo Nai (血も涙もない - Cold-blooded)

Mar 27, 2021 15:19
Chi mo Namida mo Nai

A ruthless person who has no human kindness can be described as chi mom namida mo nai (血も涙もない).

Since chi (血) means "blood," namida (涙) means "tear," and nai (ない) means "nothing/no," the literal meaning of chi mo namida mo nai is "no blood or tears."

This phrase comes from the image that a ruthless person would not shed his/her blood or tears in any situation.

Such a person can be described using "blood" in English, such as "bloodless" or "cold-blooded."
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【No. 1795】Neko Bang Bang (猫バンバン - Knock Knock Cats)

Mar 26, 2021 12:44
Neko Bang Bang

Have you ever heard of the term neko bang bang (猫バンバン)?

Neko (猫) means "cat," and bang bang (バンバン) is an onomatopoeic phrase representing that one bangs or knocks something.

When it gets cold, cats sometimes enter the engine compartment of a stationary car in search of a narrow and warm place.

Neko bang bang refers to the act of banging or knocking the hood of a car to let such a cat go somewhere else. This term also refers to the effort to protect the lives of cats through such acts.

The act and term have been proposed by Nissan Motor.
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【No. 1794】Neko Manma (ねこまんま - Cat's Meal)

Mar 25, 2021 12:52
Neko Manma

When I was a poor student, I often ate neko manma (ねこまんま).

Neko (ねこ) means "cat," and manma (まんま) is a baby word that means "meal."

Hence, the literal meaning of neko manma is "cat's meal," but it actually refers to a frugal human's meal that looks like food for cats and dogs.

Neko manma can be classified into two types: rice mixed with bonito flakes and soy sauce, and rice mixed with a miso soup.

I especially like the former neko manma, which contains bonito flakes and soy sauce.

Incidentally, since cats have a low ability to digest carbohydrates, you should avoid giving cats neko manma.
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【No. 1793】Neko Kentei (Cat Test)

Mar 24, 2021 18:08
Neko Kentei

Today, when I was looking at cats on the Internet, I found neko kentei (ねこ検定).

Since neko (ねこ) means "cat" and kentei (検定) means "test," the literal meaning of neko kentei is "cat test."

Neko kentei is a test asking for knowledge to live happily with cats. It has been held annually, and about 13,000 people took the test so far.

There are three levels of the test: beginner (pass rate: 90.6%), intermediate (pass rate: 75.2%) and advanced (pass rate: 25.3%).

The beginner level test requires knowledge to live with cats without stressing cats.

The intermediate level test requires knowledge to have responsibility for the cats' lives and be happy with each other with cats.

The advanced level test requires medical knowledge about cats in addition to understanding cats' behavior and feelings.

【No. 1792】Catalog Gift

Mar 23, 2021 19:44
Catalog Gift

Today, I received a "catalog gift" as a commemorative gift from a student who graduated from university.

I am very pleased about it.

A catalog gift is a kind of gift in which the receiver can choose his/her favorite items from a catalog listing various products.

That is to say, I have a catalog now.

When I choose one of them then post an application card, the gift will be delivered to me.

In Japan, there have been many troubles related to gift-giving since long ago.

To solve such troubles, catalog gifts have been commonly used since the 1980s.
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【No. 1791】Kankodori (閑古鳥 - "Cuckoo")

Mar 22, 2021 14:54
Kankodori

In my post yesterday, I explained that cuckoos are not very auspicious in Japan.

A cuckoo is sometimes called kankodori (閑古鳥) in Japanese.

Since kan (閑) means "quiet," ko (古) means "old," and tori/dori (鳥) means "bird," the literal meaning of kankodori is a quiet old bird.

In addition, by adding naku (鳴く - meaning "call") to that, it becomes the idiom, kankodori ga naku (閑古鳥が鳴く - "a cuckoo calls").

Cuckoos' call echoes lonely in mountains far from town, giving a sad impression.

Because of this, the phrase kankodori ga naku became an idiom to describe a quiet store that is not prosperous.
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【No. 1790】Hatodokei (鳩時計 - Cuckoo Clock)

Mar 21, 2021 18:47
Hatodokei

These days, I want to buy a hatodokei (鳩時計).

Since hato (鳩) means "dove" and tokei/dokei (時計) means "clock," so the literal meaning of hatodokei is "dove clock." However, it is refered to as "cuckoo clock" in English and "kuckucksuhr" in German.

A cuckoo clock is a clock that strikes the hours with a cuckoo's call and was first made around 1750 in the Black Forest area in Germany.

After World War II, cuckoo clocks began to be produced in Japan.

Because cuckoos are not auspicious very much in Japan, cuckoo clocks were launched under the name hatodokei.
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【No. 1789】Kodomobeya Ojisan (子供部屋おじさん - Middle-aged Men in Children's Rooms)

Mar 20, 2021 12:23
Kodomo-beya Ojisan

An Internet slang term, kodomo-beya ojisan has come to be used since 2014.

Since kodomo (子供) means "child," heya (部屋) means "room," and ojisan (おじさん) means "middle-aged man," the literal meaning of kodomo-beya ojisan is "a middle-aged man in a child's room."

This slang term is used in a derogatory sense to describe a middle-aged man who continues to live in the childs room of his parents house.

It can also mean a middle-aged man whose personality and lifestyle remain children.

On the Internet, kodomobeya ojisan is often abbreviated as kodo-oji (こどおじ).
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【No. 1788】Shirankedo (知らんけど - "I'm not sure, tho")

Mar 19, 2021 09:24
Shirankedo

I feel that the number of people who say shirankedo (知らんけど) after talking something has increased lately.

Shiran (知らん) means "I'm not sure" and kedo (けど) is an adversative conjunction, so shirankedo means "I'm not sure, though."

By saying shirankedo after asserting or recommending something, you can imply that it is hearsay information and you are not responsible for that.

For example, it is used in a conversation like kore taberu to yaserurashii yo, shirankedo (これ食べると痩せるらしいよ、知らんけど - "You will lose weight if you eat this, I'm not sure, though").

Shirankedo was originally a Kansai dialect, but it is now commonly used all over Japan, I'm not sure, though.
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【No. 1787】Limited Graduation Ceremony

Mar 18, 2021 16:58
Limited Graduation Ceremony

Today, my university held a graduation ceremony at Nippon Budokan with restricted admission.

No graduates' families were allowed to attend, and only graduates and faculty members were able to attend.

Participation is not mandatory, and some graduates and faculty members were absent.

Although it was a limited graduation ceremony, I felt that it was a big change compared to the graduation ceremony last year that was canceled due to COVID-19.

Of course, attendees were required to go home promptly after the graduation ceremony.

I hope that we will be able to hold a thank-you party or a graduation party next year.
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【No. 1786】Jōhatsu (蒸発 - Evaporation/Missing)

Mar 17, 2021 23:43
Jōhatsu

Some people around me sometimes do jōhatsu (蒸発).

Jōhatsu means "evaporation," and it usually refers to the process that a liquid changes into the gas phase.

When the subject of "evaporation/evaporate" is a person, such as kare wa jōhatsu shita (彼は蒸発した - literally means "he evaporated"), it actually means "he went missing."

This expression says that just as an evaporated liquid is invisible, so is an evaporated person.

Incidentally, the process that a substance directly from the solid to the gas state is called shōka (昇華 - "sublimation"), but shōka is rarely used with a person as the subject.

When using it like kare wa shōka shita (彼は昇華した - literally means "he sublimated"), it means something like "he became a higher state (existence) than before".

【No. 1785】Takara no Mochigusare (宝の持ち腐れ - Better Spent Than Spared)

Mar 16, 2021 10:56
Takara no Mochigusare

I splashed out and bought a new car about a year ago.

However, COVID-19 has become pandemic since immediately after that, so I could rarely use the car.

I think that I have used my new car only about 10 times in the past year.

Such a situation can be described as takara no motigusare (宝の持ち腐れ).

Since takar (宝) means "treasure," mochi (持ち) means "have," and gusare/kusare (腐れ) means "rot," so takara no motigusare means "The treasure you have is rotting."

It implies that if one does not use something useful or talented that the one has, it will be a waste.
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【No. 1784】Toranpu (トランプ - "Playing Card")

Mar 15, 2021 15:24
Toranpu

"Playing card" is called toranpu (トランプ) in Japan.

Toranpu is a Japanese-English word and comes from "trump" of "trump card."

A playing card was imported from Portugal to Japan in the 16th century.

Because of this, a playing card was used to be called karuta (かるた), which comes from the Portuguese "carta."

At the end of the 19th century, Japanese people came to refer to a playing card as toranpu. The reason is believed that some Westerners who entered Japan used the word "trump" repeatedly while playing cards, and Japanese people misunderstood the name of the cards as "trump."
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【No. 1783】Harapeko (腹ペコ - Being Hungry)

Mar 14, 2021 16:43
Harapeko

When describing that you are hungry, you can use the casual term harapeko (腹ぺこ).

Hara (腹) means "stomach," and peko (ぺこ) is short for the onomatopoeia pekopeko (ぺこぺこ), which represents that something is dented.

As you can guess, this term comes from the fact that you feel your stomach is dented when being hungry.

You can also say onaka ga pekopeko (お腹がぺこぺこ) without abbreviation. Here, ‘onaka’ (お腹) is a polite expression for ‘hara’ (腹).

Incidentally, the onomatopoeia pekopeko can also represent that someone bows many times.