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【No. 1542】Kan-muryō (感無量 - Deep Emotion)

Mar 9, 2019 15:43
Kan-muryō

Yesterday, I introduced you to the phrase mune ga ippai ni naru (胸が一杯になる), which means that one's heart is filled.

The word kan-muryō (感無量) has a similar meaning to this phrase.

Kan-muryō is short for kangai muryō (感慨無量), and it can be divided into two parts: kangai (感慨) and muryō (無量).

Kan (感) means "feeling," gai (慨) means "emotion" and kangai means "deep emotion."

In addition, mu (無) means "nothing," ryō (量) means "quantity," and muryō means "innumerable."

That is to say, the literal meaning of kan-muryō and kangai muryō is one's innumerable deep emotion.

【No. 1541】Mune ga Ippai ni Naru (胸がいっぱいになる - Overflowing)

Mar 8, 2019 15:44
Mune ga Ippai ni Naru

Yesterday, a farewell party for teachers who would retire or change their jobs at my university was held.

Since I was also one of the teachers who leave the university, my boss paid me a heartfelt compliment, then I was filled with joy.

When you are filled with emotions such as joy or grief, you can describe it as mune ga ippai ni naru (胸がいっぱいになる).

Mune (胸) means "heart," ippai (いっぱい) means "full" or "many," and naru (なる) means "to be," so the literal meaning of this phrase is "one's heart is filled."

[Example] Kanasimi de mune ga ippai ni natta (悲しみで胸がいっぱいになった - "I overflowed with grief").
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【No. 1540】Ōme ni Miru (大目に見る - Overlooking)

Mar 7, 2019 16:57
Ōme ni Miru

Yesterday, I introduced you to the idiom ōmedama wo kuu (大目玉を食う), which means to be scolded harshly.

There is another idiom having a common part with this, ōme ni miru (大目に見る).

Ō (大) means "big," and me (目) usually means "eye," but it can also mean gaps in an object, and especially here it means "gaps of a sieve."

In addition, miru (見る) means "to look," so the literal meaning of ōme ni miru is "to look at something using a big sieve."

Since such a sieve with big gaps passes through anything, ōme ni miru means to overlook someone's failure or shortcomings.
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【No. 1539】Ōmedama wo Kuu (大目玉を食う - Getting a Rocket)

Mar 6, 2019 20:38
Ōmedama wo Kuu

To be scolded very harshly can be described as ōmedama wo kuu (大目玉を食う) in Japanese.

Ō (大) means "big," me (目) means "eye," and dama/tama (玉) means "ball," so the combination ōmedama means "big eyeballs."

In addition, kuu (食う) usually means "to eat," but it can also mean "to receive an undesirable deed."

Therefore, the literal meaning of this idiom is "to receive big eyeballs."

Here, big eyeballs stand for the wide eyes of a person who scold someone very harshly.
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【No. 1538】Temae Miso (手前味噌 - Self-Praise)

Mar 5, 2019 22:15
Temae Miso

I think that everyone sometimes wants to compliment oneself.

Such an action can be described as temae miso (手前味噌) in Japanese.

Te (手) means "hand," mae (前) means "front," and the combination temae (手前) means "at hand" or "oneself."

In addition, miso (味噌) means "fermented soybean paste," but it can also mean "an ingenuity point" or "a claim to fame" because miso was made by each house's unique formula.

Therefore, temae miso came to have the meaning of "pride" or "self-praise."

[Example] Temae miso desuga, musuko wa kasikoi desu (手前味噌ですが、息子は賢いです - "I don't mean to brag, but my son is clever").
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【No. 1537】Kubittake (首ったけ - Being Head-Over-Heels in Love)

Mar 4, 2019 16:50
Kubittake

Today, I found the term kubittake (首ったけ) when I was listening to Japanese music.

Kubittake means that someone is hooked about something, especially someone is madly in love with another person.

This term comes from kubitake (首丈) -- kubi (首) means "neck" and take (丈) means "length."

Originally, kubitake literally meant the length from someone's foot to the neck.

Since we said that you plunged into something from your foot to neck for describing that you are hooked about it, kubittake came to have its current meaning.
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【No. 1536】Waki ga Amai (脇が甘い - Vulnerable)

Mar 3, 2019 14:06
Waki ga Amai

To describe that someone's defenses are weak or someone is vulnerable, you can say the Japanese idiom waki ga amai (脇が甘い).

Waki (脇) means "armpit" and amai (甘い) means "sweet" or "lax," so the literal meaning of waki ga amai is "one's armpit is sweet" or "one's armpit is lax."

Of course, it does not literally mean that someone's armpit is sweet.

This idiom comes from a traditional Japanese sport, sumō (相撲).

In sumō, if you do not close tightly your armpits, you will be thrown and defeated.

Because of this, waki ga amai came to have its current meaning.
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【No. 1535】Yubi wo Kuwaeru (指をくわえる - Enviously)

Mar 2, 2019 23:53
Yubi wo Kuwaeru

When you can't do anything while feeling envious of something, it can be described as yubi wo kuwaeru (指をくわえる) in Japanese.

Yubi (指) means "finger" and kuwaeru (くわえる) means "to suck" or "to put in," the literal meaning of "yubi wo kuwaeru" is "to suck one's finger."

Here, in particular, the finger means "index finger."

This phrase comes from the fact that children suck their index finger when they can't get what they want.

[Example] Kare wa yubi wo kuwaete sono shouhin wo miteita (彼は指をくわえてその商品を見ていた - "He looked enviously at that product.")
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【No. 1534】 Fude ga Tatsu (筆が立つ - Skillful Writer)

Mar 1, 2019 19:53
Fude ga Tatsu

The Japanese phrase fude ga tasu (筆が立つ) can be used to people who have good writing skills.

Fude (筆) is a kind of writing instrument used from old times, and it can be translated as "ink brush" in English.

In addition, tatsu (立つ) usually means "to stand," but it has also several meanings, and here it means "to have a good skill."

That is to say, the literal meaning of fude ga tatsu is that someone has a good skill about an ink brush.

However, note that it does not means that someone can write beautiful characters, but means that someone can write good sentences.
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【No. 1533】Kaze wo Kiru (風を切る - Feeling the Wind)

Feb 28, 2019 21:46
Kaze wo Kiru

To walk, run, or rotate swiftly can be described as kaze wo kiru (風を切る) in Japanese.

Kaze (風) means "wind" and kiru (切る) means "to cut," so the literal meaning of kaze wo kiru is "to cut the wind."

Here the verb kiru (cut) expresses that something moves swiftly against the wind.

In addition, to walk proudly or strut while rising and lowering the shoulders is referred to as kata de kaze wo kiru (肩で風を切る - literally means "to cut the wind with one's shoulders."

[Example sentence] Kare wa kata de kaze wo kitte aruita (彼は肩で風を切って歩いた - "He strutted/swaggered.")
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【No. 1532】Nami no Hana (波の花)

Feb 27, 2019 19:52
Nami no Hana

Today, I would like to introduce the term nami no hana (波の花), which even Japanese people do not use frequently.

Nami (波) means "(sea) wave," and hana (花) means "flower," but can you imagine what the combination nami no hana (literally means "flowers of waves") means?

There are two answers.

One is simple -- it means sea waves with white foam.

The sea foam is regarded as flowers or ears of rice.

The other is "salt," which is made from seawater.

In the past, since the word shio (塩 - "salt") could be misunderstood as shi wo (死を - "death to you"), court ladies used nami no hana instead of shio.
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【No. 1531】Kinu wo Saku youna Koe (絹を裂くような声 - A Piercing Scream)

Feb 26, 2019 19:35
Kinu wo Saku youna Koe

Have you ever heard of a woman's piercing or shrill scream?

Such a voice can be referred to as kinu wo saku youna koe (絹を裂くような声) in Japanese.

Kinu (絹) means "silk," saku (裂く) means "to split" or "to tear," youna (ような) means "-like" or "as if," and koe (声) means "voice," so the literal meaning of this expression is "a voice like a sound generated when splitting a silk."

This comes from the fact that a high-pitched and sharp sound is produced when splitting a silk cloth.
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【No. 1530】Kirifuda (切り札 - Trump)

Feb 25, 2019 22:12
Kirifuda

Yesterday, I introduced you to the Japanese term denka no houtou (伝家の宝刀), which means a measure of last resort that you use in an emergency.

There is another Japanese term that has a similar meaning, kirifuda (切り札).

Kiri (切り) means "cut," fuda (札) means "card," and kirifuda was originally used to mean the strongest card in card games.

As you can guess, the strongest card is a measure/thing that you can use in an emergency.

There are several theories about its etymology, but one of them explains that it comes from the fact that the strongest card could cut other cards.
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【No. 1529】Denka no Houtou (伝家の宝刀 - A Last Resort)

Feb 24, 2019 23:27
Denka no Houtou

A measure of last resort that you use in an emergency is referred to as denka no houtou (伝家の宝刀) in Japanese.

Den (伝) means "tradition," ka (家) means "family" or "house," and the combination denka (伝家) means something that has been passed down in someone's family for generations.

In addition, hou (宝) means "treasure" and tou (刀) means "sword," so the literal meaning of denka no houtou is "a treasured sword that has been passed down in someone's family for generations."

Since such a sword of the heirloom is a strong weapon used in an emergency, this term came to have its current meaning.
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【No. 1528】Shōnenba (正念場 - A Crucial Phase)

Feb 23, 2019 04:04
Shōnenba

In the meeting of my university several days ago, the word shōnenba (正念場) was used to the university operations next fiscal year.

Shōnenba means a crucial phase or situation.

Shōnen (正念) is a Buddhist term, meaning to seek the right mind or the truth.

In addition, ba (場) means "field" or "situation."

That is to say, shōnenba represents a very important situation that requires the right heart or the truth.

[Example]
Senkyo ga shōnenba wo mukaeru (選挙が正念場を迎える - "The election faces a crucial stage").
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【No. 1527】Katazu wo Nomu (固唾を呑む - Bating One's Breath)

Feb 22, 2019 23:51
Katazu wo Nomu

I am sometimes concerned about what is going to happen and wait with bated breath.

Such an action is referred to as katazu wo nomu (固唾を呑む).

Kata (固) means "firm," zu (唾) means "saliva," and nomu (呑む) means "to swallow" or "to drink," so the literal meaning of this phrase is "to swallow one's firm saliva."

Here, katazu (固唾 - literally "firm saliva") is saliva that accumulates in your mouth when you are nervous.

If you are concerning about what is going to happen, you probably swallow your katazu.

Because of this, katazu wo nomu came to have its current meaning.
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【No. 1526】Kamatoto (かまとと - Playing Innocent)

Feb 21, 2019 20:45
Kamatoto

When someone (especially a woman) pretends she does not know something even if she knows it well, we call her kamatoto (かまとと).

Kama (かま) is short for kamaboko (かまぼこ - "boiled fish paste"), and toto (とと) is a baby word to mean "fish."

Kamaboko is the common Japanese food made from fish paste.

However, in the Edo period, a prostitute said in a very artificial way "かまぼこ was made from とと?" to pretend she was ignorant of the world.

It is said that the word kamatoto was borne from the story.
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【No. 1525】Udatsu ga Agaranai (うだつが上がらない - Never Get Ahead)

Feb 20, 2019 21:26
Udatsu ga Agaranai

I will move to a different university in a few months, but my title will not change.

When someone can't get ahead or raise the status like this, you can express the situation using the phrase udatsu ga agaranai (うだつが上がらない - literally means "udatsu does not raise").

There are several theories about its etymology, but one of them is as follows:

Udatsu (うだつ) is a small pillar/decoration with a small roof placed on the roof of a traditional Japanese house, and people who lived in the house which was raising udatsu on the roof was wealthy.

Because of this, udatsu ga agaranai came to mean that someone does not wealthy, then it came to have its current meaning.
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【No. 1524】Yūmei Mujitsu (有名無実 - Titular)

Feb 19, 2019 22:52
Yūmei Mujitsu

I ate a famous food last week, but it was not delicious at all.

Something famous but superficial is referred to as yūmei mujitsu (有名無実).

Yū (有) means "there is" or "exist," and mei (名) means "name," so the literal meaning of the combination means "there is a name" or "name exists" -- it actually means "famous" or "well-known."

Mu (無) means "no" or "nothing," and jitsu (実) means "content," so the combination means "no content."
(Mujitsu is also used to mean "innocent.")

That is to say, yūmei mujitsu means "it is famous but is void of content."
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【No. 1523】Japanese Airline

Feb 18, 2019 11:26
Japanese Airline

I have been to overseas three times by airplane so far.

All airlines that I used were very cheap (low-cost carrier, LCC), but in this business trip, I boarded an airplane operated by the Japanese airline, ANA (All Nippon Airways).

In addition to the expensive fee, it was not wide because it was an economy class, but the service was polite, and the flight was very comfortable.

Incidentally, when boarding an airplane using public research fundings, basically we have to choose an economy class.

Someday, I would like to use a business class or a first class (or a premium economy class).