* There are only 10 entries as “Word of the Day” started this month.
Table of Contents
遅刻魔 (chikoku ma)
[30 June 2021]
Meaning: A person who always comes late
Other info: 遅刻 means “to come late”
彼は遅刻魔だから、明日のテストに遅刻しても驚かない
Because he always comes late, I won’t be surprised if he is late for the exam tomorrow.
遠慮の塊 (enryo no katamari)
[29 June 2021]
(Kansai dialect slang)
Literal Meaning: “Lump of 遠慮 (= the act of holding back doing something out of consideration for others)”
Meaning: “a last piece of food on a plate shared by multiple people because of 遠慮”
この遠慮の塊、誰も食べへんのやったら俺がもらうで？
If nobody eats this last bit on a plate, I’ll take it, OK?
URL: https://takashionary.com/enryo-no-katamari
お誕生日席(たんじょうびせき)
[28 June 2021]
Literal Meaning: “Birthday Seat”
Meaning: “a seat at the shorter side of a table”
Other Info: The allusion is that a child often sits in that place at his/her birthday party so that other people can see him/her from their seats. This term is often used to please someone who ends up sitting at the seat in a restaurant that is made impromptu by bringing a chair from another table.
満身創痍 (manshin soui)
[27 June 2021]
Meaning: “be injured from head to toe (with a bit of exaggeration)”, or figuratively “be worn out”
最近、足を怪我して腰も痛く、満身創痍だ
Recently, I injured my leg and also feel a pain in my back. I’m injured from head to toe.
ダメ元(もと) (damemoto)
[26 June 2021]
Do something with very little hope of success; do something anyway although you think it’s gonna be ダメ(unsuccessful)
財布(さいふ)を落としたからダメ元で交番(こうばん)に行ったら、幸運(こううん)にも誰(だれ)かが届(とど)けてくれていた
I dropped my wallet, so I went to kōban (police box) with little hope of success, and luckily someone returned it there.
自虐風自慢 (じぎゃくふうじまん, jigyaku huu jiman)
[25 June 2021]
Humble brag (“self-deprecating” statement whose actual purpose is to brag about oneself)
A: 日本語全然出来ないから、日本のアニメ見ても8割しか理解出来ないよ〜
A: Because I suck at Japanese, when I watch Japanese anime I can understand only 80% of it
B: おい、自虐風自慢するのやめろ
B: Hey, stop humble bragging
幽霊部員 (ゆうれいぶいん, yuurei buin)
[24 June 2021]
Literal Meaning “a ghost member at a (school) club”
Figurative Meaning “people who belong to a (school) club but never participate in its activities”.
この部活には３０人以上所属しているけど、ほとんどが幽霊部員だから実際は１０人くらいしか活動に参加しない。
Although more than 30 people belong to this school club, most of them are “ghost members” and only about 10 of them join the activities in reality.
目(め)を皿(さら)のようにして (me wo sara no youni shite)
[23 June 2021]
Literal Meaning “Make one’s eyes look like a plate (i.e. open one’s eyes wide)”
Figurative Meaning “very carefully/scrupulously”.
無(な)くしたコンタクトレンズを目を皿のようにして探(さが)した
I searched for my lost contact lenses scrupulously.
血眼（ちまなこ）になって (chimanako ni natte)
[22 June 2021]
Literally means “with bloodshot eyes” and figuratively “(look for something) desperately/frantically”.
迷子(まいご)になった猫(ねこ)を血眼になって探(さが)している
I’m frantically looking for my lost cat (with my eyes being bloodshot)
山々 (やまやま, yamayama)
[21 June 2021]
Meaning: It’s used when you wish to do something but you can’t. It’s also used when you decline an invitation politely.
行(い)きたいのは山々ですが、その日はもう予定(よてい)があって…
I really wish to go, but I have a plan on the day already…