Click here to see the entire vocabulary list
Yomi
てのひらをかえす
Rōmaji
te no hira o kaesu
Type
idiom
Literal Meaning
to flip one’s palm
Meaning
to change one’s tune after something unexpected has happened
Additional Info
It’s often used when one suddenly and completely changes his/her opinion about someone after they achieve something good or bad.
Example
昨日までは多くの人が「あいつはクソだ」と言ってあの監督を批判していたのに、大事な試合に勝った途端に「天才だ！」と称賛し、手のひらを返した。
Until yesterday, a lot of people had been criticising the head coach, saying, “He is sh*t”. But once his team won the important match, they changed their tune and commended him, saying “He is a genius!”
