Table of Contents
Definition
道草(みちくさ)を食(く)う (michikusa o kuu) literally means ‘to eat grass on the road’. Figuratively, it means that you stop by somewhere and waste time/do something unplanned on the way to the destination. This idiom originates from how a horse suddenly stops and eats grass along the road.
Usage
(〜で)道草を食う: waste time/loiter/do something unplanned/loiter (at ~) on one’s way
Example
コンビニで道草を食っていたら、遅刻（ちこく）してしまった。
I stopped by at a convenience store and I ended up being late.
Related Words
Synonyms
油(あぶら)を売(う)る
literally “sell oil” and figuratively “waste time somewhere (esp. during working hours or before coming home from school)”
寄(よ)り道(みち)する
“stop by somewhere”
Leave a Reply