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Yomi
くさってもたい
Rōmaji
kusatte mo tai
Type
idiom
Literal Meaning
A sea bream is still a sea bream even if it has got rotten
Meaning
- someone/something demonstrates still possesses a talent/value/skill although they are well past their prime
- Someone/Something is great/valuable even if they are not the best
Additional Info
A (red) sea bream (鯛, たい) is a metaphor for something valuable, as it is a very popular (and expensive) fish to eat in Japan.
In this expression, 鯛 is often with an arbitrary word (a job title, brand name, etc.), like 腐っても元アスリート meaning “He is still an ex-athlete (and displays his talent, although his skills have faded a lot)”.
While this is not a negative expression, you’d better avoid using it as a compliment, as it suggests that they have got “rotten” (i.e. lost their skills). In fact, it’s sometimes used to describe oneself in a self-deprecating way (see the last example below).
Example
彼は10年前にプロのサッカー選手を引退したけれど、アマチュアサッカーリーグで今年得点王になった。腐っても鯛だね。
Even though he retired as a professional football player ten years ago, this year he became the top scorer in the amateur football league. A sea bream is still a sea bream even if it has got rotten.
このかばんボロボロだけど、腐ってもエルメスだから捨てたくない
This bag is so tattered but still it’s Hermès so I don’t wanna throw it away
腐っても役者なので、演技で泣くことはできるよ
Coz I’m still an actor (even though not very successful), I can cry on cue.