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【No. 0982】Premature Laws

Aug 26, 2017 13:46
There are several premature laws in Japan.

Today I would like to talk about two interesting laws among them.

The first one is established in 1966, and is related to activities on the Moon and asteroids.

According to this law, we are prohibited from conducting military exercises on the moon and asteroids, and all facilities there have to be released to all astronauts in other countries.

The second one is established in 2000, and is related to cloning technology.

According to this law, a person who made a cloned human will be imprisoned for 10 years.

As of today, there are no cases that these laws were applied.
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【No. 0981】Oi (おい - Hey)

Aug 25, 2017 16:01
Recently, I watched the animated movie, "Sing."

When I watched it repeatedly on Blu-ray, I found that Johnny and his father said "Oi" several times.

One of these scenes can be confirmed in around 40 seconds of the following video (spoiler alert).



It's written as "Boy" in the Youtube subtitles, but it's written as "Oi" in the Blu-ray subtitles.

"Oi" is a British slang term, and is used as an interjection to catch someone's attention.

Interestingly, "Oi" (おい) is also used in Japan as the almost same meaning.

However, note that "Oi" in Japan is an expression used by men that sounded a little rude.
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【No. 0980】Hiyakasu (冷やかす - Bantering)

Aug 24, 2017 14:46
Yesterday, I introduced the Japanese idiom, "chacha wo ireru" (茶々を入れる), which means to tease someone by saying something unnecessary.

There is another Japanese verb, "hiyakasu" (冷やかす), which has the similar meaning to "chacha wo ireru."

The literal meaning of "hiyakasu" is just cooling something down, but it's usually used to mean to tease someone, or criticize goods without having the intention of buying.

It is said that this meaning comes from the fact that paper craftsmen in Asakusa brought prostitutes in Yoshiwara into ridicule during cooling paper materials down.
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【No. 0979】Chacha wo Ireru (茶々を入れる - Teasing)

Aug 23, 2017 14:01
Have you ever broken into a conversation of others, and said unnecessary things or cracks?

Such an act is called "chacha wo ireru" (茶々を入れる) in Japanese.

The "chacha" (茶々) contains the kanji, "茶," which means "tea," but this idiom doesn't related to tea.
(Incidentally, the kanji "々" means repetition the previous character.)

One of the most accepted theories about its etymology is that it's comes from "jaja" (邪邪).

"Jaja" meant to disturb someone or act spoiled, and the theory states that "jaja" has changed into "chacha."
("Jaja" is no longer used.)
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【No. 0978】Atezuppou (当てずっぽう - Random Guess)

Aug 22, 2017 18:26
If you do or say something irresponsible with no basis, you will be told "atezuppou" (当てずっぽう) in Japanese.

"Atezuppou" means something like random guess, and it's used like "Atezuppou na koto wo iuna" (当てずっぽうなことを言うな - Don't say atezuppo things.)

The most acceptable theory about its etymology is that it comes from the term "ate zuiryou" (当て推量), which has come to be used since the Edo period.

Here "ate" (当て) means "prospect," and "zuiryou/suiryou" (推量) means "guess."

The theory says that "ate zuiryou" became "atezui" for short, and it became "atezuibou" by personifying ("bou" is a suffix word that is sometimes added to boys' names), and finally it became "atezuppou."
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【No. 0977】Kuda wo Maku (管を巻く - Blathering)

Aug 21, 2017 19:38
Today I'd like to talk about the Japanese idiom, "kuda wo maku" (管を巻く).

Here, the "kuda" (管) means a small spindle that is used in fiber spinning, and "maku" (巻く) means to wind something.

In fiber spinning, in order to make thread, fiber is wound to the kuda (spindle) by rotating the spinning wheel.

This act is called "kudamaki" (管巻き) or "kuda wo maku" (管を巻く).

The act called "kuda wo maku" and the sound from it are very monotonous, and it's similar to a drunk person who talks same things monotonously.

Because of this, "kuda wo maku" has come to mean that a drunk person talks nonsensical things monotonously and repeatedly.
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【No. 0976】Shinshō Boudai (針小棒大 - Making Mountains out of Molehills)

Aug 20, 2017 14:12
Yesterday, I introduced the Japanese idiom, "ohire wo tsukeru" (尾ひれを付ける), which menas to embellish or exaggerate a story using something that's not true.

Today I would like to talk about the Japanese four-character idiom, "shinshō boudai" (針小棒大), which has the similar meaning of "ohire wo tsukeru."

The "shin" (針) means "needle," the "shō" (小) means "small," the "bou" (棒) means "stick," and the "dai" (大) means "big."

Therefore, this idiom means to talk about or express a small needle as if it would be a big stick.

The usage example is: "Hanashi wo shinshō boudai ni iu" (話を針小棒大に言う - I talk about a story like shinshō boudai).
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【No. 0975】Ohire wo Tsukeru (尾ひれをつける - Embellishing a Story)

Aug 19, 2017 14:14
Some people embellish a story using something that's not true.

Such an act is called "ohire wo tsukeru" (尾ひれを付ける) in Japan.

The "ohire" means a tail and a fin of fish, and the "tsukeru" means to attach, so the literal meaning of it is "attaching a tail and a fin."

If you add a tail and a fin to fish, its look will be flashy.

However, since the number of tails and fins of fish is determined, of course such fish doesn't exist.

Because of this, people have come to say "ohire wo tsukeru" to mean to embellish/exaggerate a story by adding lie information.
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【No. 0974】Urashima Tarō Part 2

Aug 18, 2017 14:47
(Today's post is the continuation of yesterday's post.)

Urashima Tarō decided to return to his village after he spent some time in Ryūgū-jō.

At that time, Orihime presented tamatebako (玉手箱 - treasure box) to him, with saying "You must never open this."

When Tarō came back to the ground, he found that there is no people he knows.

Then, he opened tamatebako -- smoke came out from the box, and he became an old man.

That is to say, a few days he spent in Ryūgū-jō was equal to long years on the ground.

This is the outline of the famous Japanese fairy tale, "Urashima Tarō."

【No. 0973】Urashima Tarō Part 1

Aug 17, 2017 15:31
Day before yesterday, I stayed at a resort hotel called "Hotel Urashima" (ホテル浦島).

The name of this hotel comes from the famous Japanese fairy tale, "Urashima Tarō."

The outline of "Urashima Tarō" is something like the following.

A fisherman called Urashima Tarō, found a turtle that is being tormented by children, and rescued it.

In order to express gratitude, the turtle put Tarō on the back, and invited him to Ryūgū-jō (竜宮城 - Dragon Palace) in the sea.

In Ryūgū-jō, Tarō was welcomed by the beautiful princess, Otohime (乙姫), and he enjoyed fish dancing and gorgeous food.

To be continued later.
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【No. 0972】Family Trip in Summer

Aug 16, 2017 20:11
From yesterday to today, my relatives, my family and I have gone to a trip.

Although it was tough to treat my nephew and my niece on the car, it was also fun.

The hotel was located between the mountain and the sea, and the hot spring was in the cave.

Since you could see the expanse sea from the hot spring in the cave, we could totally feel the enormous nature.

However, somehow I couldn't sleep well yesterday (probably it was due to the unfamiliar environment.).

Today we went to LEGOLAND Japan, played there, and came back to home.

I'm quite exhausted now.
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【No. 0971】Zako (雑魚 - Small Fry)

Aug 15, 2017 16:47
Yesterday, I introduced the Japanese word, "sanshita" (三下), which means a lower-level member of an organization.

Today I'd like to talk about the word, "zako" (雑魚), which is used as the similar meaning of "sanshita."

Originally "zako" is a word to call all small fish with low commercial value.

By extension, it has come to mean low-level or weak people.

Recent young people tend to use "zako" rather than "sanshita."

Incidentally, "zako" is often used in manga and anime.

Since both "sanshita" and "zako" contain derogatory meanings, please be careful when you use them.
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【No. 0970】Sanshita (三下 - Small Fry)

Aug 14, 2017 07:19
Today I would like to talk about the Japanese word "sanshita" (三下), which means a lower-level member of an organization.

Here the "san" (三) means "three," and the "shita" (下) means "under," so the literal meaning of "sanshita" is just "under three."

Originally, "sanshita" was used to mean a lower-level person among gamblers.

In Japanese gambling using dice, one and two (under three) were weak, so losers have come to be called "sanshita."

From this, lower-level people/small fry have come to be called "sanshita" even outside the field of gambling.

I work at a university, but I have the least experience among teachers, that is, I'm a sanshita.
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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.