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You are here: Home / CM Tooltip Glossary / 手のひらを返す (te no hira o kaesu)

手のひらを返す (te no hira o kaesu)

November 30, 2022

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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!”

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