Goma wo Suru (To Butter Up)

Today I will talk about the Japanese idiom "goma wo suru."

The literal meaning is "to grind sesame seeds," and it often means to butter up someone.

(Of course, it can mean to just grind sesame seeds in a mortar.)

If you grind roasted sesame seeds, they will be smeared throughout in the mortar.

From the fact that such sticky sesame seeds looked like that someone tried to gain another's favor, this idiom was made.

This idiom is often said to be "goma suri" for short.

By the way, there are many English phrases that means "goma wo suru," but many of them seems to be vulgar expressions.

胡麻をする

今日は「胡麻をする」という慣用句を紹介します。

「胡麻をする」は、誰かに気に入られようとして機嫌を取ったり振る舞ったりすることを意味します。

（もちろん、文字通りすり鉢などで胡麻をすり潰す意味も持ちます。）

炒った胡麻をすり潰すと、胡麻はすり鉢のあちこちにベタベタとくっつきます。

この胡麻がくっつく様を相手に媚びている様子に例えて、このような意味になりました。

省略して「ゴマすり」と言われることも多いです。

ちなみに、この慣用句に相当する英語のフレーズは多数存在しますが、その多くは下品な表現のようです。

• Goma wo Suru (To Butter Up)
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• Today I will talk about the Japanese idiom "goma wo suru."
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• The literal meaning is "to grind sesame seeds," and it often means to butter up someone.
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• (Of course, it can mean to just grind sesame seeds in a mortar.)
• (Of course, it can also mean to just grind sesame seeds in a mortar.)

• If you grind roasted sesame seeds, they will be smeared throughout in the mortar.
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• From the fact that such sticky sesame seeds looked like that someone tried to gain another's favor, this idiom was made.
• This idiom comes from the fact that such sticky sesame seeds look like someone tried to gain another's favor.

• This idiom is often said to be "goma suri" for short.
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• By the way, there are many English phrases that means "goma wo suru," but many of them seems to be vulgar expressions.
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

Very nice! :-)