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【No. 1022】Katsu Katsu (かつかつ)

Oct 5, 2017 10:21
Now I am falling into a state called "katsu katsu" (かつかつ).

"Katsu katsu" represents a state that someone is barely keeping a certain condition, or a state that someone can't afford anything.

It is said that this term was born by repeating the old Japanese word "katsu" (かつ), which means "narrowly" or "barely."

You can use it something like "Schedule ga katsu katsu da" (スケジュールがかつかつだ - I have a tight schedule) or "Katsu katsu no seikatsu wo okuru" (かつかつの生活を送る - I'm living hand to mouth).

If you want to mean the opposite meaning of "katsu katsu," you can use "yoyu ga aru" (余裕がある - having the luxury) or "yutori ga aru" (ゆとりがある - having enough leeway).
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【No. 1021】Jūgoya (十五夜 - Full Moon Night)

Oct 4, 2017 08:56
Tonight is "jūgoya" (十五夜).

The "jūgo" (十五) means "fifteen," the "ya" (夜) means "night," so the literal meaning of the composite is "fifteenth night."

Actually, "jūgoya" means a full moon night around August 15th in the lunar calendar.

Since the date was based on the phases of the moon in the lunar calendar, August 15th at that time is currently from the middle of September to the beginning of October.

In the night, people enjoy watching the moon with family while decorating Tsukimi Dango (月見団子 - rice dumplings for moon viewing) and Japanese pampas grass.

Incidentally, "jūgoya" is also called "chūjū no meigetsu" (中秋の名月 - harvest moon).
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【No. 1020】Hame wo Hazusu (羽目を外す - Getting Carried Away)

Oct 3, 2017 21:07
Have you ever had too much fun and let yourself get carried away?

Such an act is called "hame wo hazusu" (羽目を外す) in Japan.

It is said that the "hame" of "hame wo hazusu" comes from "hami/hame" (馬銜), which is a rod-like metal harness that is used to control horses.

If you take the hame off from a horse ("hazusu" means to take something off), the horse will act freely and you won't able to control it.

Because of this, "hame wo hazusu" (taking a harness off) has come to have the current meaning.
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【No. 1019】Liberal Shipping

Oct 2, 2017 11:36
A few days ago, the clothing shopping site "ZOZOTOWN" started liberal shipping service (it's not free shipping).

This service is that you can decide a shipping fee freely (within the range of 0 yen to 3000 yen), according to your feeling or circumstance.

Many Japanese shopping sites provide free shipping service, but it's because the shipping fee is contained in the price of goods in most cases.

Since there is no tipping custom in Japan, most Japanese people may choose 0 yen as the shipping fee.

However, the shipping fee is set to 400 yen by default, and the fee selection menu shows 100 yen as the lowest fee.

Therefore, if you want to select free shipping, you have to select "Others" and type "0" on the keyboard.

I think that many people will pay 100 yen or 400 yen as shipping fee due to this a little confusing system.
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【No. 1018】Inari zushi (稲荷寿司)

Oct 1, 2017 16:35
I think that recently the Japanese word "sushi" has come to be used in various countries.

Among various kind of sushi, do you know "inari zushi" (稲荷寿司)?

"Inari zushi" is a sushi made by stuffing with vinegared rice in a deep-fried tofu (bean curd).

In some Japanese shrines, the Shinto god Inari (稲荷) is enshrined.

Also, we have served fried tofu to these shrines, because shinshi (神使 - divine servant) of the god is fox, and it has been believed that the favorite food of foxes is the fried tofu.
(Since foxes are actually carnivorous, this theory is wrong.)

Because of this, dishes that contain fried food has been called "inari," then "inari zushi" was born.
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【No. 1017】Iketara Iku (行けたら行く - I'll Go If I Can)

Sep 30, 2017 12:19
When people are invited to play or drinking parties in Japan, some often say "iketara iku" (行けたら行く).

Although "iketara iku" literally means "I'll go if I can," this phrase seems to be often used when you don't want to go.

In fact, according to an questionnaire survey, most Japanese people think of this phrase as a negative reply.

However, the result of another questionnaire survey suggests that "iketara iku" has different meanings depending on the region.

According to the survey, the phrase tends to be used when you don't want to go in the Kansai region (western Japan), whereas it tends to be used when you actually want to go in the Kanto region (eastern Japan).
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【No. 1016】Oyaji (親父 - Father)

Sep 29, 2017 17:57
In the yesterday's post, you can find the Japanese word "oyazi" (親父), which means "father."

In Japan, there are several terms that mean "father," such as "otousan" (お父さん), "tousan" (父さん), "oyaji" (親父) and "papa" (パパ).

"Oyaji" comes from "oyachichi" (おやちち); here "oya" means "parent," and "chichi" means "father."

Also, although the original meaning of "oyaji" is "father," it sometimes implies an elderly man or a head of a group.

However, "oyaji" that isn't used to mean "father" often includes a contempt meaning.

For example, "oyaji gag" (親父ギャグ) means a stereotyped gag used by an older man.
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【No. 1015】Yajiuma (野次馬 - Rubberneck)

Sep 28, 2017 17:55
When a fire or an accident occurs, many "yajiuma" (野次馬) will gather.

"Yajiuma" means people show interest in a incident unrelated to themselves and make a big deal about it.

It is said that "yajiuma" comes from "oyajiuma" (親父馬), here "oyaji" (親父) means "farther" and "uma" (馬) means "horse."

Because of this, "yajiuma" originally meant an old horse or an unmanageable horse.

Also, since such a horse is useless, "yajiuma" has come to mean people who are useless -- they just watch or make a big deal about an incident unrelated to themselves.
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【No. 1014】Ao Tenjō (青天井 - Dome of the Sky)

Sep 27, 2017 14:41
Have you ever thought that the sky was a blue ceiling?

In Japan, there is the term "ao tenjō" (青天井), the literal meaning of which is "a blue ceiling," and it implies the sky.

Also, "ao tenjō" is often used in business scenes.

The blue sky has an almost endless height, unlike ordinary ceilings.

Because of this, "ao tenjō" also means that there is no payment amount limits in transactions, or a market price of goods continues to rise for a long time.

Incidentally, if you say "ao tenjō" in the mah-jong field, it means a horrible rule that doesn't have a score limit.
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【No. 1013】Wagamama (わがまま - Selfish Character)

Sep 26, 2017 21:14
I don't like a person who has a personality called "wagamama" (わがまま) very much.

"Wagamama" means that someone is selfish or acts spoiled.

Where the "waga" (わが) means "myself," and the "mama" (まま) means "as someone pleases."

Therefore, the literal meaning of "wagamama" is that you act just as you please without thinking other people -- that is, it implies a selfish character.

Incidentally, the character "mama" (ママ) can means just "mama" in English.

Because of this, you can make a pun something like "waga mama wa wagamama da" (わがママはわがままだ), which means "Me mother has a selfish character."
(This is my original pun.)
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【No. 1012】Gold Driver's License

Sep 25, 2017 20:53
Today I updated my driver's license and got a gold licence.

Driver's license in Japan is able to be divided into three types -- green, blue, and gold.

The green license is given to people who acquire a driver's license for the first time, and the expiration date is 2 to 3 years.

The blue license is given to people who update the green license, or violated the Road Traffic Law more than one time in the past 5 years, and the expiration date is 3 to 5 years.

The gold license is given a person who keeps his/her driving record clean for 5 years, and the expiration date is 5 years.

Incidentally, the gold license (ゴールド免許) is officially called "優良運転者免許証," the literal meaning of which is "license for drivers with no history of traffic violations."

The easiest and most reliable way to get the gold license is that you don't drive after getting your driver's license.
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【No. 1011】Rubi (ルビ - Syllabaries )

Sep 24, 2017 15:48
In Japanese sentences, small hiragana syllabaries are sometimes written above or the side of kanji (Chinese characters).

This hiragana syllabaries are called "hurigana" (振り仮名), and is also called "rubi" (ルビ).

The etymology of "rubi" is just ruby, a kind of gemstones.

In British publishing industry, font sizes have given names of gemstones.

For example, Diamond is 4.5 points, Pearl is 5 points, Ruby is 5.5 points, and Emerald is 6.5 point.

In the Meiji period, the main font size on Japanese newspapers was 10.5 points, and the font size of hiragana syllabaries was 5.2 points.

Since the size was similar to the size called Ruby, we have come to use the term "rubi" (ルビ) to mean the hiragana (or katakana) syllabaries.
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【No. 1010】Aki (秋 - Autumn)

Sep 23, 2017 22:25
In Japan, today is in the midst of "aki" (秋) -- this day is called "shūbun" (秋分).

"Aki" is one of the seasons, and it's located between summer and winter, that is, "aki" is autumn.

There are three theories about the etymology of "aki."

The first one is that it comes from the fact that the sky color of this season is clear ("clear" is translated into Japanese as "akiraka" (明らか)).

The second one is that it comes from the fact that crops are abundant in this season (it's expressed "akimitsuru" (飽き満つる) in Japanese)..

The third one is that it comes from "aka" (紅) -- in this season, leaves begin to turn red ("red" is translated into Japanese as "akai" (紅い)).

Young Japanese people tend to like "aki" (autumn) the most among the four temperate seasons.
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【No. 1009】Ashi ga Deru (足が出る - Running over the Budget)

Sep 22, 2017 18:50
This month, I spent more money than my income.

We say "ashi ga deru" (足が出る) in such a case, which means that expenditure become higher than the budget or your income.

The "ashi" (足) means "leg," the "deru" (出る) means "to protrude," so the literal meaning of the composition is "a leg protrudes."

There are mainly two theories about the etymology of this term.

One is that the "ashi" (足 - leg) implies money.

In fact, since money runs around the world, mone is sometimes called "oashi" (here the "o" is a polite suffix) in Japan.

The other one is that it comes from the following fact;
when making a kimono (traditional Japanese clothes), if you don't have enough textures due to lack of budget, your legs will protrude from the kimono.
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【No. 1008】Ichihime Nitaro (一姫二太郎 - Having a Daughter First and then a Son)

Sep 21, 2017 16:53
When a child is born in Japan, it is commonly said that "ichihime nitaro" (一姫二太郎) is ideal.

Here "ichi" (一) means "first," "hime" (姫) means "daughter," "ni" (二) means "second," and "taro" (太郎) means "son."

Therefore, "ichihime nitaro" means that your first child is a daughter, and your second child is a son.

The reason why such a composition is regarded as an ideal one is because it's easier to foster a daughter than a son, and she will help with house work and child care after growing somewhat.

Previously, this term is used as a word of comfort when a daughter was born first even if the parents wanted a son.

However, these days many Japanese people think that "ichihime nitaro" is actually ideal due to various reasons.
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【No. 1007】Kuchaler (クチャラー - Noisy Eater)

Sep 20, 2017 17:32
Yesterday, I introduced "mayoler" (マヨラー), which means mayonnaise lovers, and "kechaler" (ケチャラー), which means ketchup lovers.

There is another slang term, "kuchaler" (クチャラー), the sound of which is similar to "kechaler."

If you chew something without closing your mouth, the chewing sound will be heard by others.

In Japan, this sound is represented by an onomatopoeia, "kucha kucha" (くちゃくちゃ).

Because of this, people who eat something while opening the mouth and making the sound have come to be called "kuchaler."

Almost all kuchalers don't seem to be aware of the chewing sound, but it can make many people unpleasant, so please be careful not to be a kuchaler.
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【No. 1006】Mayoler (マヨラー - Mayonnaise Lovers)

Sep 19, 2017 10:45
Do you like mayonnaise?

In Japan, people who love mayonnaise and eat various dishes with a lot of mayonnaise are called "mayoler."

The "ler" of "mayoler" comes from the English suffix "-er," which is used in forming nouns designating persons.

Some mayolers seem to suck or drink mayonnaise.

According to the theory of a Japanese scholar, the reason why mayolers are born is because a intracerebral narcotic substance called β-endorphin is produced by a large amount of fat contained in mayonnaise.

Incidentally, people who love ketchup are called "kechaler" (ケチャラー) in Japan.

Note that both "mayoler" and "kechaler" are slang terms.
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【No. 1005】Suppon (スッポン - Soft-Shell Turtle)

Sep 18, 2017 15:26
Previously, I introduced the Japanese phrase, "tsuki to suppon" (月とスッポン), which means that two things are very different from each other, though they have something in common.

Today, I will talk about the "suppon" (スッポン) of "tsuki to suppon."

"Suppon" means a soft-shell turtle, and is widely distributed in China, Japan, Russia and etc.

Especially in Japan and China, people have eaten suppons since a long time ago.
In Japan, the word "suppon" has been used since the Edo period, but before that it had been called "dorogame" (ドロガメ), the literal meaning of which is "mud turtle."

The etymology of "suppon" hasn't been clarified yet, but it's said that it comes from an onomatopoeia when a suppon makes a plunge into a river.
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【No. 1004】Tsuka no Ma (束の間 - A Fleeting Moment)

Sep 17, 2017 13:36
Previously, I introduced the Japanese word "setsuna" (刹那), which means just a moment.
http://lang-8.com/kanotown/journals/70614703479910847646654589514187869240

There is another Japanese word, "tsuka no ma" (束の間), which also means a short time.

The "tsuka" (束) of "tsuka no ma" is a unit of length that was once used in Japan, and one tsuka represents a width of four fingers.

Also, since "ma" means a temporal interval, "tsuka no ma" is a phrase that likens a length to a time.

For example, it is used something like "tsuka no ma no shiawase" (束の間の幸せ - short-lived happiness).

Note that "tsuka no ma" is much longer compared to "setsuna" in most cases.
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【No. 1003】Warikan (割り勘 - Dutch Treat) Part 3

Sep 16, 2017 21:17
Today I'd like to introduce expressions for "warikan" (割り勘 - dutch treat) in various countries.

In Italy, it is called "alla romana," which translated into "to pay like people of Roma."

In Romania, it is called "plăti nemțește," which is tsanlated into "to pay by German style."

In China, a senior or a person who invite others usually pay the all amount.

However, it seems that recent young Chinese tend to split the bill, and it's called "AA-sei" (AA制 - Algebraic Average System).

Also, it's especially called "Japanese AA-sei" (日本式AA制) when they want to imply a stingy/petty impression.