Nuka ni Kugi (Nail Rice-bran Paste)

Today, I will talk about the Japanese proverb "nuka ni kugi."

"Nuka" means "rice-bran paste," "kugi" means "nails", and "nuka ni kugi" is used to express that there is no effect.

For example: Giving a caution to him is nuka ni kugi (meaningless).

This proverb comes from the fact that even if you nail soft rice-bran paste, you can't obtain any effect.

Also, there is another proverb "noren ni udeoshi," which has the same meaning as "nuka ni kugi."

"Noren" means a curtain-like cloth hanging down over an entrance of Japanese stores, and "udeoshi" means an arm wrestling.

Of course, to arm-wrestle with noren is meaningless like nuka ni kugi.

糠に釘

今日は、「糠に釘」ということわざを紹介します。

糠に釘は、手応えがなく、効き目がないことのたとえとして用いられます。

例「彼にはいくら注意しても糠に釘だ」

やわらかい糠に釘を打っても手応えがないことから来ています。

また、同じ意味を持つことわざとして「暖簾に腕押し」があります。

暖簾とは、建物の入口に仕切りとして垂らす布を、腕押しは腕相撲を意味します。

垂れている布に対して腕相撲をしても、何の手応えもありません。

• Today, I will talk about the Japanese proverb "nuka ni kugi."
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• "Nuka" means "rice-bran paste," "kugi" means "nails", and "nuka ni kugi" is used to express that there is no effect.
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• For example: Giving a caution to him is nuka ni kugi (meaningless).
• For example: Giving a caution to warning him is nuka ni kugi (meaningless).

  This sounds a bit more natural, I think.

• This proverb comes from the fact that even if you nail soft rice-bran paste, you can't obtain any effect.
• This proverb comes from the fact that even if you nail soft rice-bran paste, you can'twon't obtain any effect.

• Also, there is another proverb "noren ni udeoshi," which has the same meaning as "nuka ni kugi."
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• "Noren" means a curtain-like cloth hanging down over an entrance of Japanese stores, and "udeoshi" means an arm wrestling.
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• Of course, to arm-wrestle with noren is meaningless like nuka ni kugi.
• Of course, to arm-wrestle with noren a curtain is meaningless like nuka ni kugi.

  Similar to your earlier sentence about nailing rice paste, if you translate the whole proverb into English, the reader will better understand (instead of having to recall what you said a noren was)

I think grammatically every sentence was perfect. I wrote in blue suggestions to make the text sound a little more natural.

• Today, I will talk about the Japanese proverb "nuka ni kugi."
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• "Nuka" means "rice-bran paste," "kugi" means "nails", and "nuka ni kugi" is used to express that there is no effect.
• "Nuka" means "rice-bran paste," "kugi" means "nails," and "nuka ni kugi" is used to express that doing something is pointless.

• This proverb comes from the fact that even if you nail soft rice-bran paste, you can't obtain any effect.
• This proverb comes from the fact that even if you nail soft rice-bran paste, you can't obtain any effect.

  It may sound more natural to say "even if you try to nail soft rice-bran paste, it won't have any effect on it."

• Also, there is another proverb "noren ni udeoshi," which has the same meaning as "nuka ni kugi."
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• "Noren" means a curtain-like cloth hanging down over an entrance of Japanese stores, and "udeoshi" means an arm wrestling.
• "Noren" means a curtain-like cloth hanging down over the entrance of Japanese stores, and "udeoshi" means an arm wrestling.

• Of course, to arm-wrestle with noren is meaningless like nuka ni kugi.
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

Wow! Japanese has a phrase like this? English has a phrase that is almost exactly the same! It's "that's like trying to nail Jell-o to the wall." Just like 糠に釘, it means that something is pointless.

Here is a video where someone managed to do it, though!

｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡