“the oil seller in olden times used to stroll leisurely from house to house chatting, flirting, and gossiping” Read the rest of this entry »
Why does “abura o uru” (油を売る- sell oil) mean loaf/slack?
April 1, 2008 at 11:30 pm (Japanese history, Japanese idioms, Japanese language, Japanese Street Slang- Peter Constatine, Japanese word origins)
Why do the English titles of Japanese films and manga often have so little connection to the Japanese title?
April 1, 2008 at 10:30 am (Anime (Japanese animation/ cartoons), Japanese English, Japanese language, Japanese movies)
My favourite example of this (as well as my favourite manga) is Urayasu Tekkin Kazoku (literal translation Urayasu- a lower middle class area of Chiba near Disneyland- Steel Muscle Family), which for some reason gets the English title Super Radical Gag Family. And the reason is… Read the rest of this entry »
What the Japanese really mean Slang of the Day
April 1, 2008 at 3:31 am (Japanese language, Japanese slang, Japanese Street Slang- Peter Constatine, What the Japanese really mean)
Japanese- Rakon
Literal translation- bare root (vegetable)
Slang meaning- Read the rest of this entry »
