Language Play
Cool Japanese Idioms
Colourful Wordplay in the Language of Haiku
I enjoyed Lynn L. Alexander’s recent post on some of her favourite idioms — those metaphoric plays of literal and figurative definitions that, collectively, take on greater meaning than the sum of their parts.
Her post inspired me to think of some expressions I’ve learned over the years that have helped me live, work, and play in Japan :-)
Sometimes idioms can grant insight into the culture. What values are imbedded in the language? What objects and other referents are so familiar to members of that society that they can stand as metaphors for “universal” truths?
I present here, gentle reader, for your consideration, some of the most fun, colourful, and interesting idioms I’ve come across in my life-long learning of Japanese as my (adopted) mother tongue
Where possible, I’ll include the original form in kanji and/or kana characters.
One of the best things about idioms is the often playful way they take the literal meanings of words and, through unique combinations and juxtapositions, create strikingly original — often memorable — images and meanings.
One example that comes to mind is
