tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70895665646162961322023-11-15T07:18:18.575-08:00Nihongo ShticksA collection of Japanese expressions, words and other amusing bits and pieces I discovered on my Japanese learning journey.Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-81219939886396802582013-02-13T03:17:00.000-08:002013-02-13T03:17:00.134-08:00I'll Make You An Offer You Can't RefuseThis is just stupid. <br />
No, really, I mean it. <br />
I am so sorry to take up your time with this stupidity but I can't help it, it did amuse me personally so I can't help thinking (hoping?) it might amuse someone else. My appologies to all the sane human beings out there, this one is probably not for you :)<br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.2966626934033486" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Japanese:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 其処此処</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reading:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> sokokoko</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Meaning:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> here and there; in places</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Literally:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> there(soko) here(koko)</span><br />
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Yes, nothing special about the meaning, but the sound of it is just funny... <br />
I guess for me it has the same appeal that <a href="http://nihongoshticks.blogspot.co.il/2013/01/mr-abc-mrs-def.html" target="_blank">Mrs. kakukikeko</a> had from a few posts back.<br />
Sokokoko...sokokoko... it should have been the onomatopoeia for shooting a machine gun or something.<br />
Oh, I see an opportunity to save this post (for the sane ones) by also mentioning the real word for that.<br />
<br />
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.2966626934033486" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Japanese:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> ドンパチ</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reading:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> donpachi</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Meaning:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> the firing of guns</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Literally:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> actually a combination of "dondon" and "pachipachi" (look them up!)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I find this word easy to remember since it always brings to my mind an image of some tough Italian Mafia boss called "Don Pachi(no)", you know Al Pachino as the Don in those Italian Mafia movies... and getting from that image to gun fire is an offer you can't refuse :)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-7873219512719605902013-02-06T10:53:00.000-08:002013-02-06T10:53:00.461-08:00Musical DrinkingThis expression just made me visualize stuff that made me giggle :)<br />
You know how when you drink straight from the bottle, you have to raise the bottle to horizontal position and when it gets empty you turn your head back more and more and the bottle's bottom upward more and more? Yeah...<br />
<br />
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.20093277777881902" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Japanese:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> ラッパ飲み</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reading:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> rappanomi</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Meaning:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> drinking straight from a bottle</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Literally:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> trumpet-drinking</span><br />
Now you see what I mean? The image of a dude playing a trumpet, and once in a while in a high point of the melody turns his head back and raises the trumpet upwards fully explains this expression.<br />
I wonder if the first one to come up with this expression was indeed a trumpet player.<br />
<br />
Anyway, amusing it is.Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-67188498260479706422013-01-30T10:40:00.000-08:002013-01-30T10:40:00.350-08:00A Female Ninja!This word is quite interesting. It refers to a female ninja.<br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.20093277777881902" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.20093277777881902" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Japanese:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> くノ一</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reading:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> kunoichi</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Meaning:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> female ninja</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I am not sure but I heard that this is the only word in Japanese that uses all three writing systems in one word. The first letter is the hiragana 'ku' letter. The second one is the katakana 'no' letter and the last one is the Kanji symbol for 'one'.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Another interesting thing is that this word, although it doesn't seem so, does represent a woman! To find out you simply need to draw all three letters at the same location. If you draw く, ノ, and then 一 at the same location, you get... 女, which is the Kanji symbol for 'woman'. Isn't that cool?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Being a ninja, the woman disguises herself...</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I also know this is how children in school learn how to draw the 女 symbol.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-73657553157596946172013-01-23T12:27:00.000-08:002013-01-23T12:27:00.436-08:00Wisdom in a ToothThis is the coolest word I've heard reacently and I finally got the "Oh, so there are still some treasure boxes out there!" feeling. I almost thought the chances of finding anything would be so slim to even bother.<br />
So this is how they say "wisdom tooth" in Japanese.<br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.7886049053263988" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Japanese:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 親知らず</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reading:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> oyashirazu</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Meaning:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> wisdom tooth</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Literally:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> parents - not knowing </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Say what now? Ok, I'll explain the two theories behind the origin of this word.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The first theory is that when you're a baby and your teeth start to get out, the parents of course are very excited and you can say they pretty much "introduce" themselves to each and every tooth as it comes out.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Look honey, another one came out today!"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Awwww!!"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But the wisdom teeth come out when it's not so exiting anymore, and many times they come out when the "kid" has already left home. So those teeth do not really know the parents, and those teeth erupt without the parents knowing about it, hence the "not knowing the parents" teeth, or teeth that came out "without the parents knowing". Cool right?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The second theory goes like this. The first set of teeth a baby gets are his milk teeth, then when he grows older, those teeth are replaced one by one with his grown up permanent (hopefully) teeth. So we can say that each tooth had a "parent" milk tooth that it replaced when it erupted. But the wisdom teeth don't replace anything, they just come out. Those poor teeth, they don't even know if they had parent teeth at all, or where they are now, orphan teeth if you will. Hence, "not knowing (their own) parents" teeth.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Both theories are good with me :)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They are both cool enough.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Me mega like!</span><br />
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<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-68120841539408645022013-01-17T12:06:00.000-08:002013-01-17T12:06:02.542-08:00Drunk Talking!So you shouldn't drink and drive, right?<br />
How about drink and talk, then? YES!<br />
<br />
I can't believe I still didn't talk about this cool word here. I got to know it a long time ago while talking to a Japanese friend in a coffee shop in Shinjuku.<br />
You know how Japanese people usually open up slowly? and by slowly I mean.. never, right?<br />
So it turns out there is only one time when they totally allow themselves to talk freely and open up, and that is after some drinking!<br />
We westerners can talk to friends anytime about almost anything. Sure it's nice to grab a beer and talk about whatever is bothering you, but we can still do it without the beer.<br />
The fact they HAVE to drink to start talking is amusing by itself, but the fact that they even have a word for this is just awesome :)<br />
<br />
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.7084593816858306" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Japanese:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 飲みニケーション</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reading:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> nominike-shon</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Meaning:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> communicating while drinking (or rather, after some drinking).</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Literally:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> a combination of 飲み (drinking) and コミュニケーション(communication)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Recently I wanted to refer someone to the post about this word and realized that there was no post about this word. Fixed it now!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-31154463250419063332013-01-09T10:48:00.000-08:002013-01-09T10:52:29.550-08:00Mr. ABC & Mrs. DEFThis one is not exaclty a Japanese word or phrase, but it's in Japanese, and it was amusing, so it goes here!<br />
I found this while reading the popular Doraemon manga. At some point the main character wants to proove to some girl that he has a super memory so he goes over a phone book's first few pages and then asks her to test him. She names names of people and he recalls their phone numbers!<br />
Obviously the author needed to throw out some random not important to the story names for this test. I imagine in English "John Doe" or "Jane Doe" could be used, though, not sure since it's not quite the normal use for those terms.<br />
So what were the names that amused me so much and why?<br />
Here you go!<br />
<br />
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.10577914846126335" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Japanese:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 阿井上男さん</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reading:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> aiueo san</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong>Meaning:</strong> Mr. aiueo</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.10577914846126335" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Japanese:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 柿久家子さん</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reading:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> kakikukeko</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span> san<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong>Meaning:</strong> Mr. kakikukeko</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What is amusing about that?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Well, if you studies Japanese even a little bit, you know that when learning Hiragana or Katakana, the syllables are written in a table in that order so you kind of get used to the aiueo, kakikukeko sound/rhythm. It's not quite like Mr. ABCD, it's something a bit different.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Plus, it's written in Kanji! And valid one at that! When I first read this, I knew it was a name because it ended with the hiragana "san" but I had to turn to the furigana to help me read it, and when I finally realized it's just aiueo/kakikukeko, it was just funny! lol</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Funny because it's a totally bogus name, but it hides so well in the Kanji that it really looks like a real name! Unlike Mr. ABCD which is obviously fake from the first glance.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Another amusing thing is that we can probably guess that aiueo san is a man and kakikukeko san is a woman. I'll let you figure out why yourself!.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Did I mention I started liking Kanji? yeah.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Me like.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span><br />
<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-33399422051778080132013-01-02T01:38:00.000-08:002013-01-02T11:12:13.765-08:00Ice, Glass and RiversSometimes learning Japanese is so much easier than learning English for instance.<br />
I recently learned this word and it is so easy to remember because of the cool simple Kanji meaning.<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> <span id="internal-source-marker_0.6103510526146411" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">氷河</span><br />
<b>Reading:</b> hyouga<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> glacier<br />
<b>Kanji:</b> ice + river<br />
<br />
<br />
Now if a Japanese has to learn the word 'glacier', how the hell is he going to remember it? It's almost random, the only thing he might hang on to is that it sounds somewhat like glass...but if he does that he might end up falsly remembering the word glacier is some kind of glass...<br />
I admit, at first Kanji was an enemy, but I am getting to befriend it more and more as I study.<br />
<br />
Good Kanji! <br />
<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-65591780456309184692012-12-26T01:30:00.000-08:002012-12-27T00:17:14.926-08:00Car Types!Just a nice Kanji meaning for the word Tank!<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> 戦車<br />
<b>Reading:</b> sensha<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> tank (the military vehicle)<br />
<b>Kanji:</b> war + car<br />
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<br />
Here is another amusing word using the car Kanji.<br />
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<b>Japanese:</b> 肩車
<br />
<b>Reading:</b> kataguruma<br />
<b>Meaning: </b>riding piggyback; riding on someone's shoulders <br />
<b>Kanji:</b> shoulder <b>+ </b>car<br />
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And here is one that at first glance looks amusing, but turns out to be somewhat disappointing.<br />
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<b>Japanese:</b> 車椅子
<br />
<b>Reading:</b> kurumaisu<br />
<b>Meaning: </b>wheelchair<br />
<b>Kanji: </b>car + chair<br />
<br />
The concept of chair that is a car is amusing, but another meaning of the Kanji 車 is simply wheel which makes this a "wheel + chair", exactly like it is in English, and therefore, not amusing at all.<br />
<br />
Bad Kanji!<br />
<br />
<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-85111031587696690022012-12-19T01:57:00.000-08:002012-12-19T01:57:00.462-08:00Round Things in the AirJust a nice Kanji meaning for the word Balloon!<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> 風船<br />
<b>Reading:</b> fuusen<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> balloon, the kind you can inflate with helium and tie a string to.<br />
<b>Kanji:</b> wind/air + ship<br />
<br />
<br />
Well, if you don't keep an eye on the kid, eventually they all loose the grip and let the balloon fly away...<br />
just like an air ship, carried by the wind :)<br />
<br />
Nice kanji, me like!<br />
<br />
The real big hot air balloon vehicle type balloons are this word:<br />
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<b>Japanese:</b> 気球<br />
<b>Reading:</b> kikyuu<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> balloon, blimp - the kind you can ride in...<br />
<b>Kanji:</b> air<b> + </b>sphere<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-34095364400872847842012-12-12T01:48:00.000-08:002012-12-12T01:48:00.217-08:00Dangerous PoolJust a nice Kanji meaning for the word Battery.<br />
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<b>Japanese:</b> 電池<br />
<b>Reading:</b> denchi<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> battery<br />
<b>Kanji:</b> electricity <b>+ </b>pool<br />
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Quite the dangerous pool, eh?<br />
<br />
When I mentioned this to a Japanese friend, he introduced me to a common family name in Japan, which is kind of similar.<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> 菊池<br />
<b>Reading:</b> kikuchi<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> just a family name<br />
<b>Kanji:</b> chrysanthemum (some flower type) <b>+ </b>pool<br />
<br />
That's a nice family name... but I like the electricity pool image better :P<br />
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<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-29485425688085579452012-12-05T01:28:00.000-08:002012-12-05T01:28:00.251-08:00Pillow Substitute<br />
I don't think it's extra amusing or something but somehow, I just like this word. Or even the fact there is a word (noun & verb!) for it.<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> 腕枕<br />
<b>Reading:</b> udemakura<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> using an arm as a pillow<br />
<b>Literally:</b> arm pillow<br />
<br />
<br />
The arm can be your own, or it can be someone else's.<br />
As long as you sleep on an arm, it's udemakura!<br />
I even saw somewhere there is kind of a half pillow with a fake arm extension to give you the ultimate arm pillow experience :P<br />
<br />
Good night!Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-76790011067983654552012-11-28T01:19:00.000-08:002012-11-28T01:19:00.202-08:00Eating GrassHere is an amusing expression. When you want someone to do something straight away, without wasting time, go straight home, don't take a detour or waste time on the way to look at flowers, this is what you can use (in the negative of course).<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> 道草を食う<br />
<b>Reading:</b> michikusa wo kuu<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> to loiter (on the way); to waste time<br />
<b>Literally:</b> eat the grass on the side of the road<br />
<br />
<br />
Somehow, this makes me imagine a cow standing on the side of the road, chewing on some grass, and this amuses me. Sue me.<br />
<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-77896886615913019162012-11-21T01:12:00.000-08:002012-11-21T01:12:00.629-08:00Proof of Study!We all know Japanese people work hard, study hard and do even party hard and there are a few words in the language that show it. Some of which I already talked about in the past. This one is a nice one, pointing at the "study hard" category. I was asked if this word exist in English and couldn't quite tell, I have never heard of it but I'm not a native English speaker.<br />
Anyway, the word is:<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> <span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block" style="padding-left: 0px; width: 57px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">ペン胼胝</span></span><br />
<b>Reading:</b> pen dako<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> the callus one develops on one middle finger after writing A LOT.<br />
<b>Literally:</b> pen callus<br />
<br />
I also developed this pen callus sometimes when I was in school, but not enough times to actually have the need to invent a word for it.<br />
There is a similar word, that refers to the traditional Japanese sitting habits.<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> <span class="goog-inline-block kix-lineview-text-block" style="padding-left: 0px; width: 57px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">座り胼胝</span></span><br />
<b>Reading:</b> suwari dako<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> calluses (on one's ankles, insteps, etc.) caused by sitting seiza <br />
<b>Literally:</b> sitting callus<br />
<br />
I don't have those sitting calluses, since I can't even sit seiza for more than a minute :P<br />
And it has been long since I actually used a pencil/pen, so my fingers are callus-free!<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-62545952248296826432012-11-14T00:46:00.000-08:002012-11-14T02:20:30.130-08:00Insulting a Sea HorseSo how do they say Seahorse in Japanese? I found it quite interesting...<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> 竜の落し子<br />
<b>Reading:</b> tatsu no otoshigo<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> seahorse<br />
<b>Literally:</b> the illegitimate son of the noble Dragon, or more simply put, a Dragon's bastard child!<br />
<br />
<br />
I wonder who was the mother.<br />
A fish? I can't quite imagine a fish "doing it" with a dragon, but a whale and a dragon would probably not give birth to such a small creature. mmm... the mystery remains.<br />
<br />
<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-84068274741108244832012-03-07T20:29:00.003-08:002012-03-07T20:29:36.473-08:00Apples and FrogsSo this is a nice one, a bit obvious and maybe not that amusing but I'm just a sucker for proverbs using nature related content.<br />
So you know the expression "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree", right?<br />
Or in other words "Like father, like son".<br />
This is the Japanese version...<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> 蛙の子は蛙<br />
<b>Reading:</b> kaeru no ko wa kaeru<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> like father like son; the apple doesn't fall far from the tree<br />
<b>Literally:</b> the son of a frog, is a frog.<br />
<br />
(insert frog noise here)<br />
<br />
<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-67824323510296948712012-03-01T03:54:00.000-08:002012-03-01T03:54:02.366-08:00Before you could say Jack RobinsonI always though this English expression is a bit odd.<br />
I mean, Jack Robinson is not such a short name, I could slap someone pretty hard before he could say Jack Robinson.<br />
I mean, OK, at least it's not "Before you could say Arnold Schwarzenegger" but it could be way shorter like John Doe or something.<br />
That's why I was felt respect for the Japanese language when I stumbled on this expression with the same meaning, but more logical, in my opinion.<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> あっと言う間<br />
<b>Reading:</b> attoiuma<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> a blink of time<br />
<b>Literally:</b> the time it takes to say "Ah!"<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
And just like that, before we can say "Ah!", this entry is done!<br />
Aww.... :P<br />
<br />
<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-60467296544184880372012-02-27T01:05:00.000-08:002012-02-27T01:05:00.264-08:00Boom ShakalakaOK, so we already covered in the past the "MY" stuff.<br />
Take a look at <a href="http://nihongoshticks.blogspot.com/2011/11/is-that-your-my-car.html">this post right here.</a><br />
My Car being a private car and My Home being a privately owned house.<br />
Since then I found out there is also...<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> マイ箸<br />
<b>Reading:</b> maihashi<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> washable chopsticks carried in a case (to be used in place of disposable chopsticks)<br />
<b>Literally:</b> my chopsticks<br />
<br />
and then there is this one...<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> マイブーム<br />
<b>Reading:</b> maibu-mu<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> something that a person is currently obsessed with or fascinated by <br />
<b>Literally:</b> my boom<br />
<br />
<br />
Ah! so like... yeah, that kind of boom, so it's not a terrorist jargon :D<br />
So yeah, kind of amusing, I don't think English speakers use that word a lot (boom, not my boom). The only common term with that word is "baby boom", which out of context can also be misinterpreted...<br />
So what is your my-boom at the moment?<br />
Mine is カレーパン and loving Tokyo.<br />
<br />
Boom. <br />
<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-30820159799516925652012-02-25T00:01:00.002-08:002012-02-25T00:02:58.992-08:00Cavemen English in Japanese!Hi there!<br />
We all know how cavemen used to talk right?<br />
"Me food eat", "Me kill you" and so on.<br />
I encountered a word in Japanese (which is not known to all Japanese people, it's kind of a gamers word I am guessing) and it amused me because of the cavemen speech style it sounds like if you think it's English.<br />
<br />
The word is...<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese: </b>未プレイ<br />
<b>Reading:</b> mi purei<b> </b><br />
<b>Literally:</b> not yet play<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> refers to the trait of not yet playing something (a game...duh)<br />
<br />
So it SOUNDS like "Me play" in Cavemen English but has the totally opposite meaning!<br />
<br />
Gamer A: Did you see that awesome new game that came out!?<br />
Gamer B: Yeah man! Me play! (未プレイ).<br />
Gamer A: What? you played it already?!<br />
Gamer B: No, man! Me not play. Me play!<br />
Gamer A: ?!?!?<br />
<br />
So have you played it? Me play.<br />
<br />
Ok, I may have gone overboard. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-11126737480929080942012-02-08T04:58:00.000-08:002012-02-08T04:58:13.165-08:00Evolution in JapanThis word is VERY interesting (to me) and I am glad I bumped into it!<br />
I tried to not reveal too much in the title so you could try your hand at guessing the meaning of this word without the explanation. Let's see if you have any idea what this word means:<br />
(and you won't find it in the dictionary so don't even go there, mu ha ha ha!!!)<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Japanese: </b>ガラケー<br />
<b>Reading:</b> garake- <br />
<br />
Well, doesn't ring any bells, right? Even if it's written in Katakana.<br />
So let's try another version of this word that might give you some idea or direction.<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> ガラ携 <br />
<b>Reading:</b> garakei<br />
<br />
<br />
Did it help? No? Have no fear, another, even less abbreviated version exists!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese: </b>ガラ携帯 <br />
<b>Reading:</b> garakeitai <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
So it's something about a cellphone, right? Probably, but what the heck is "gara"?<br />
Let's see the completely full version of the word/expression.<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese: </b>ガラパゴス携帯 <br />
<b>Reading:</b> garapagosukeitai
<br />
<br />
<br />
So, you'd think that showing you the full version would make everything clear, right? But I bet there are a few people, if not more, that still don't know what the heck does that mean, including me when I first heard it. So here it is ladies and gentlemen, without further ado:<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese: </b>ガラパゴス携帯 <br />
<b>Reading:</b> garapagosukeitai<b> </b><br />
<b>Literally:</b> Galapagos Cellphone<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> old Japanese cellphones, the ones before smart phones came around<br />
<br />
And now for the explanation. You know how in the Galápagos Islands, being a remote and secluded land, away from the main continents, a special kind of wildlife evolved, all those lizards and turtles and stuff. The evolution of wildlife in the Galápagos Islands went a different route because well, it had different conditions and no influence from the mainland wildlife.<br />
Japan, being an island itself, kind of had a separate social evolution as well, which explains the huge cultural difference between Japan and the west, but part of this also meant that they had different needs from their cell phones. One example is that they had to have higher resolution since they were dealing with Kanji that the west didn't care about. That's why Japanese companies made cellphones that work in Japan, for Japan but they didn't bother adjusting the phones to work anywhere else.<br />
That is why when I came here, I couldn't use my phone (different network protocols and such) and had to get a local phone.<br />
<br />
Now in the age of smart phones, everyone kinda start using the same stuff since smart phones do have a camera and a high resolution and all that so there is no more need to separately develop phones to work in Japan. Kind of like someone suddenly connected the Galápagos Islands to North America and watch all those lizards and slow turtles being devoured by the fast carnivores of the main land...<br />
The same way, now the ガラ稽s are disappearing and being replaced by smart phones.<br />
<br />
<br />
This was a long one today!<br />
I hope you liked it.<br />
I did! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-26581915463237446092012-02-07T17:22:00.000-08:002012-02-07T17:22:06.617-08:00Infant Driving License<br />
This is a Japanese word, but it's actually English, but actually in English we don't use this word, so it only Japanese, but it's in English, OK?<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> ベビーカー<br />
<b>Reading:</b> bebi-ka<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> stroller, buggy, pushchair<br />
<b>Literally:</b> baby car<br />
<br />
Well, it makes sense...a stroller is kind of a baby car, or rather actually more like a baby Taxi since the baby is not actually doing the driving.<br />
<br />
Anyway, cute word, not easily forgettable.<br />
Me like. <br />
<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-27985428989607008602012-02-03T17:22:00.000-08:002012-02-04T06:18:43.768-08:00A Very Late Good MorningI found out yesterday about a very sarcastic good morning greeting that I liked very much!<br />
Since I came to Japan, my sleeping patterns changed quite a lot and there were times when I WOKE UP at 11PM and went down to the kitchen, saying good morning even thought it was already almost midnight.<br />
<br />
The normal way to say good morning, as I am sure most of you know, is:<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> お早うございます<br />
<b>Reading:</b> ohayou gozaimasu<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> good morning (greeting)<br />
<b>Literally:</b> (you) are early<br />
<br />
Now the sarcastic expression for good morning I found out about yesterday is:<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> 遅ようございます<br />
<b>Reading:</b> osoyou gozaimasu<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> good "morning" (emphasizing it's not really that early or morning anymore)<br />
<b>Literally:</b> (you) are late<br />
<br />
I like how changing only ONE syllable in the expression makes such a difference in the meaning. I like how it still sounds polite but actually so sarcastic at the same time :P<br />
<br />
Me like very much!<br />
<br />
<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-10197163373881187932012-01-11T17:29:00.001-08:002012-01-11T17:37:50.789-08:00Cut & Take LineI didn't find the next word amusing or funny or anything l ike that, but I decided to write about it because I just liked the fact that this word even exists! Of course we can describe the concept with a few words in any other language but to have it's own word... I found that refreshing, somehow.<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> 切り取り線<br />
<b>Reading:</b> kiritorisen<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> line to cut something off along<br />
<b>Literally:</b> cut take line<br />
<br />
<br />
You know, those dotted lines that start with a drawing of a scissors. I think it's cool they have a specific word for it in Japanese.<br />
That's all.<br />
<br />
<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-79858462967111232232012-01-06T21:20:00.000-08:002012-01-06T21:20:20.452-08:00SurfingSo it turns out surfing waves in Japanese is:<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> 波乗り<br />
<b>Reading:</b> naminori<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> surfing (waves in the ocean)<br />
<b>Literally:</b> wave riding<br />
<br />
But! I asked a Japanese friend if they use the same word for surfing the web, like we do in English and Hebrew and I assume other languages.<br />
He said that this is only for surfing waves, so apparently they have a different word for surfing the web. Can you guess what it is?<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b> サーフィン<br />
<b>Reading:</b> saafin<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> surfing the web (and also waves)<br />
<br />
Yeah, so basically they just use the English word for web surfing.<br />
Kind of lame and uninspiring, but <shoulder shrug> I guess a lot of the computer terminology is taken straight from English.<br />Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-68177719195198337042012-01-02T08:11:00.000-08:002012-01-02T08:11:14.092-08:00Some Horror... or joy?<span>So I learned the word for "bloodbath" today. </span><br />
<span><br /></span><br />
<b>Japanese:</b> 血祭り<br /><b>Reading:</b> chimatsuri<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> bloodbath<br />
<b>Literally:</b> blood festival<br />
<br />
<br />
I won't say anything else...Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7089566564616296132.post-52046817401285761442011-12-14T09:53:00.000-08:002011-12-14T09:54:09.459-08:00Scary GardenHere is an amusing Kanji meaning for a word in Japanese.<br />
<br />
<b>Japanese:</b>霊園<br />
<b>Reading:</b> reien<br />
<b>Meaning:</b> cemetery<br />
<b>Kanji:</b> soul + garden<br />
<br />
And if we push it a little, we can say it came from 幽霊 公園 (second Kanji from each word) which means "ghost park".<br />
<br />
Yawza!Shtick Collectorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10250952779030982030noreply@blogger.com1