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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.
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【No. 1038】Kogarashi (木枯らし - Cold Autumn Wind)

Oct 21, 2017 13:43
I think that "kogarashi" (木枯らし) will blow in a few days.

"Kogarashi" is strong cold winds that are blew from late autumn to early winter.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, if a wind blows from the north at a speed of 8m/s or more after the pressure pattern became a typical winter one (high-pressure area to the west, and the low-pressure area to the east), the wind will be regarded as "kogarashi."

The etymology of this term is very simple.

The "ko" (木) of "kogarashi" means "tree," and the "garashi" (枯らし) means "to blight green things."

Therefore, "kogarashi" implies a wind that is a strong/cold wind enough to blight trees.
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【No. 1037】Hipparidako (引っ張りだこ - Sought After)

Oct 20, 2017 10:27
Have you ever seen a person who is in great demand from many people?

Or perhaps are you such a person?

Such a demand or such a person is referred to as "hipparidako" (引っ張りだこ) in Japanese.

Here "hippari" of "hipparidako" means "pulling something up," and "dako/tako" means "octopus."

In Japan, when making a dried octopus, people pull its eight legs up.

Such an act/scene was called "hipparidako," and this term meant "punishment of crucifixion" or "sinner" due to the figure, but it has come to mean a popular person who is much in demand.
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【No. 1036】Manaita (まな板 - Cutting Board)

Oct 19, 2017 18:19
The Japanese word "manaita" (まな板) means a board that is used when cutting ingredients, that is a cutting board.

Here the "mana" (まな) of "manaita" means "fish," and "ita" (板) means "board."

Therefore, it's thought that in the past manaita meant a board just for cooking fish.

Until recently manaita represented a cutting board made of wood, but now it's usually made by plastic or rubber due to the antibacterial property.

Incidentally, please be careful not to say "manaita" to a small breasted woman.

Since manaita is usually flat, it sometimes used as a slang term that implies a woman who has small and flat breasts.
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【No. 1035】The Definition of Vegetable Part 2

Oct 18, 2017 16:09
In some countries, there are several definitions about the classification of vegetable and fruit like the following.

・It's a fruit when it has seeds, whereas it's a vegetable when it has no seeds, but there're some exceptions.

・When processing to a paste, a fruit will become jam, whereas a vegetable will become sauce.
(According to this definition, if tomato is a fruit, it will become tomato jam instead of tomato sauce.)

Incidentally, in the past in the US, 10 percents tariffs was applied to vegetables, and fruits were excluded.

Because of this, a trading merchant tried to import tomatoes as fruit, but in 1893, the US Supreme Court decided that tomato is a vegetable because it don't dessert.

Unfortunately, the debate about the classification of vegetable and fruit has continued, and there seems to be no definitive criteria for it yet.
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【No. 1034】The Definition of Vegetable Part 1

Oct 17, 2017 13:50
In my previous post, I wrote something like "eggplant is a vegetable," but a commenter pointed out that "eggplant is a fruit."

Thanks to this comment, I noticed an interesting fact that the definitions of vegetable and fruit are different depending on the country/region.

Actually, there are no clear definitions between them in most countries including Japan, but many Japanese people believe that eggplant is a vegetable.

According to the classification proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, herbaceous plants are vegetables, and plants grown on trees are fruits.

Therefore, tomato, watermelon, melon, and strawberry are classified as vegetable, though foreigners might not believe it.

Continue to Part 2.
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【No. 1033】Akinasu wa Yome ni Kuwasuna (秋茄子は嫁に食わすな - Don't Let Daughter-in-Law Eat Autumn Eggplants)

Oct 16, 2017 05:21
Yesterday, I introduced the etymology of "nasu" (茄子 - eggplant).

Today I'd like to talk about a Japanese proverb that uses the word, "Aaki-nasu wa yome ni kuwasuna" (秋茄子は嫁に食わすな).

The literal meaning of it is "Don't let daughter-in-law eat autumn eggplants," but there are several interpretations about this.

Commonly, this proverb is often used to mean that autumn eggplants are very delicious, so it should not let hateful daughter-in-law eat them.

In addition, it's sometimes used to mean that daughter-in-law/wife blessed with a baby shouldn't eat eggplants too much because they chill the body, or since autumn eggplants have few seeds, it may become difficult to make a baby (this is a kind of superstition).
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【No. 1032】Nasu (ナス - Eggplant)

Oct 15, 2017 11:44
Do you like a kind of vegetable called "nasu" (ナス)?

Nasu is a vegetable native to India, and is grown from summer to autumn.

In English, it is called "eggplant" due to the shape.

Previously in Japan, "nasu" is commonly called "nasubi" (なすび).

There are several theories about the etymology of "nasubi."

For example, there are a theory that it comes from "natsumi" (夏実 - summer berry) due to the harvest period, and a theory that it comes from "nasumi" (中酸実 - berry having a sour center) due to the taste.

To tell you the truth, I don't like the texture of eggplants very much.
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【No. 1031】Jigajisan (自画自賛 - Self-Admiration)

Oct 14, 2017 12:23
I think that everyone would like to praise himself/herself sometimes.

To praise oneself is often referred to as "jigajisan" (自画自賛) in Japanese.

Here the "ji" (自) means "my" or "myself," and "ga" (画) means "painting."

Also, in Oriental paintings, inscriptions/poetry related to the painting are called "san" (賛).

That is to say, the original meaning of "jigajisan" is to write an inscription/poetry of your painting.

It is thought that since the kanji "賛" (san) include the meaning of "praise," this term has come to mean "praising oneself" or "self-admiration."
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【No. 1030】Ame (雨/飴 - rain/candy)

Oct 13, 2017 10:53
Since there are so many homonyms in Japanese, I think that it's hard for foreigners to learn these Japanese words.

Because of this, I will also introduce Japanese homonyms on Lang-8 from today.
(To tell you the truth, no longer I have little topics related to Japanese etymologies.)

Today I'd like to talk about the very common Japanese word, "ame" (あめ).

"Ame" has mainly two different meanings -- "rain" (雨) and "candy" (飴).

If you accent "a" of "ame," it will imply "rain," and if you accent "me," it will imply "candy."

"Ame" (雨 - rain) comes from "ame" (天 - sky) or "amamizu" (天水 - meteoric water), whereas "ame" (飴 - candy) comes from "amai" (甘い - sweet).

Incidentally, in the Kansai region (western Japan), "ame" (飴 - candy) is often called "ame-chan" by attaching "chan" ("chan" is a suffix used for girls or kids).
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【No. 1029】Occhoko Choi (おっちょこちょい - Goofy)

Oct 12, 2017 14:50
People who do a careless thing without thinking are called "occhoko choi" (おっちょこちょい) in Japanese.

It is thought that this term is composed of three words -- "o," "choko," and "choi."

The "o" is an interjection that is used when you're surprised, or is a just prefix.

The "choko" comes from an onomatopoeia, "choko choko" (ちょこちょこ), which represents that you move around quickly.

The "choi" comes from "choito" (ちょいと), which means a trivial matter.

That is to say, "occhoko choi" implies that you move around by yourself due to a trivial matter and surprise/worry other people.
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【No. 1028】Uso Happyaku (嘘八百 - A Lot of Lies)

Oct 11, 2017 13:30
Have you ever been surrounded by a lot of lies?

Such a situation where as if everything is lie is called "uso happyaku" (嘘八百) in Japan.

Here "uso" (嘘) means "lie," and "happyaku" (八百) means "eight hundred."

In Japan, eight hundred is a number that represents that the number of things is huge.

It is said that this comes from the fact that the number eight has been used for saying an enormous number in Buddhism.

Incidentally, "uso happyaku" can also means "a complete lie," in addition to "a lot of lies."
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【No. 1027】Akami-zakana and Shiromi-zakana (赤身魚と白身魚 - Fish with Red Flesh and Fish with White Flesh)

Oct 10, 2017 09:38
In Japan, fish is often classified into two categories; akami-zakana (赤身魚 - fish having red flesh) and shiromi-zakana (白身魚 - fish having white flesh).
(Strictly speaking, the classification is based on the amount of hemoglobin or myoglobin contained in the flesh.)

Akami-zakana, such as scads, mackerels, sauries and tunas, have a deep taste, contain a lot of fat, and are rich in iron.

On the other hand, shiromi-zakana, such as porgies, flatfishes, pufferfish and salmons, are balnd in taste, low in fat and rich in protein.

Salmons are often misunderstood as akami-zakana because of the reddish color of the flesh, but it's because they eat plankton called krill containing red pigment.

Incidentally, fishes having blue back, such as scads and mackerels, are also called "ao-zakana" (青魚 - blue fish).
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【No. 1026】Tanki wa Sonki (短気は損気 - Haste Makes Waste)

Oct 9, 2017 10:18
Are you a person who loses your temper easily or gets bored quickly?

Such a personality is called "tanki" (短気) in Japan.

Here "tan" (短) of "tanki" means "short," and "ki" (気) means "temper."

Also, there is a famous Japanese proverb, "tanki wa sonki" (短気は損気 - tanki makes sonki).

This proverb means that if you lose your temper easily, you will make a loss.

Since "ki" (気) of "sonki" is added to "son" (損 - loss) for matching with the sound of "tanki," it has no meaning.
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【No. 1025】Daigomi (醍醐味 - The True Pleasure)

Oct 8, 2017 07:37
There are several Japanese terms that describe a pleasure.

Today I'd like to talk about "daigomi" (醍醐味) among them.

"Daigomi" means a true pleasure or depth of favor.

The "daigo" (醍醐) of "daigomi" is a Buddhist term, and it means a high-grade milk product that is made from cow or sheep milk through various processes.

Because "daigomi" (醍醐味 - taste of daigo) is pure and the bast taste, it originally means "the best thing/teaching" in Buddhism, and it has come to mean the current meaning.

Some people think that "daigo" is equivalent to yogurt in the modern meaning.
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【No. 1024】Daikokubashira (大黒柱 - Breadwinner)

Oct 7, 2017 18:36
Daikokubashira

In a traditional Japanese residence, we often set a very thick pillar in the center of the house.

This pillar is called "daikokubashira" (大黒柱).

"Daikokubashira" is composed of three kanji, "大" (big), "黒" (black), and "柱" (pillar), but it's not usually black.

There are several theories about the etymology.
One is that it comes from "Daigokuden bashira" (大極殿柱), which is pillars in Daigokuden (大極殿).
(The Daigokuden is a main hall of Chodoin (朝堂院 - a state chamber of the Greater Imperial Palace).)
The other theory is that it comes from Daikokuten (大黒天), who is the god of wealth.

Because of the importance, "daikokubashira" also represents a person who supports a group such as family or country.
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【No. 1023】Guden Guden (ぐでんぐでん)

Oct 6, 2017 11:20
Yesterday we held a drinking party.

I got back to work in the middle of the second party, but some people might have become a state called "guden guden" (ぐでんぐでん).

"Guden guden" is a term that means that someone gets so drunk that he doesn't know who he is.

The "guden" (ぐでん) of "guden guden" comes from "kiden" (貴殿), which is a honorific title for a man.

The "ki" (貴) of "kiden" means "you," and "guden" was born by replacing it with "gu" (愚), which means "fool."

Previously, I introduced the Japanese term "hebereke," which means a drunk state, but "guden guden" represents a much wors state than that.

[ Hebereke (へべれけ) ]
http://lang-8.com/kanotown/journals/9388743911506033614267133588286983646