慣用表現 IV

油断ゆだんしていると足元あしもとをすくわれる。

Drop your guard and someone will trip you up.

Usage Being brought down through a small lapse of one's own. Very often passive.

Remember it 足元 (the feet) + すくう (scoop away) → the feet swept out from under you while you were looking elsewhere.

彼かれの努力どりょくには頭あたまが下さがる。

His effort fills me with admiration.

Usage Being moved to genuine respect. It takes には.

Remember it 頭 (head) + 下がる (go down) → the head bowing of its own accord before you decide to bow it.

勝かったが後味あとあじが悪わるい。

We won, but it leaves a bad taste.

Usage Leaving an unpleasant feeling afterwards. Used when the result was fine but the way it came about was not. Read あとあじ.

Remember it 後味 (aftertaste) + 悪い (bad) → the taste still in your mouth after the meal is over.

絶景ぜっけいに息いきを呑のんだ。

The magnificent view took my breath away.

Usage Gasping at something beautiful or frightening. Also written 息をのむ.

Remember it 息 (breath) + 呑む (swallow) → the breath swallowed back down instead of let out.

久ひさしぶりの大おお仕事しごとに腕うでが鳴なる。

A big job at last — my hands are itching for it.

Usage Being eager to show what you can do. Always positive. Read うでがなる.

Remember it 腕 (arm) + 鳴る (ring out) → the arm sounding off, asking to be used.

思おもい出だすと顔かおから火ひが出でる。

I blush to the roots when I remember it.

Usage Burning with embarrassment. Far stronger than 恥ずかしい.

Remember it 顔 (face) + 火が出る (flame coming out) → the face hot enough for flames to come out of it.

役目やくめを終おえて肩かたの荷にが下おりた。

With the duty over, a weight came off my shoulders.

Usage Being relieved of a responsibility and feeling the lightness. Read かたのにがおりる.

Remember it 肩 (shoulder) + 荷 (load) + 下りる (come down) → the pack lifted off the shoulder and set on the ground.

画面がめんに釘付くぎづけになった。

I was glued to the screen.

Usage Being held so fast by something that you cannot move or look away. Read くぎづけ.

Remember it 釘付け (nailed down) → nailed to the spot where you were standing.

つい口くちが滑すべってしまった。

It slipped out before I could stop myself.

Usage Letting out something you meant to keep to yourself. Usually with regret.

Remember it 口 (mouth) + 滑る (slip) → the mouth sliding away from you before the mind catches it.

血ちも涙なみだもない仕打しうちだ。

It is utterly heartless treatment.

Usage Completely without mercy. It is ALWAYS in this negative form.

Remember it 血 (blood) + 涙 (tears) + ない → neither blood nor tears anywhere in them.

実力じつりょくの差さに手ても足あしも出でなかった。

The gap in ability left us helpless.

Usage Being completely powerless. Stronger than 歯が立たない. ALWAYS negative in form.

Remember it 手 (hand) + 足 (foot) + 出ない → you cannot get so much as a hand or a foot out.

習ならうより慣なれろと言いうだろう。

They do say practice beats study.

Usage Better to get used to it by doing than to learn about it. Used to urge someone to start. Note the imperative ending 慣れろ.

Remember it 習う (learn) より 慣れろ (get used to it) → never mind the learning, get your hands used to it.

根ねも葉はもない噂うわさが流ながれた。

A completely groundless rumour went round.

Usage Utterly baseless. Used of rumours with no foundation at all. ALWAYS negative in form.

Remember it 根 (root) + 葉 (leaf) + ない → neither root nor leaf, so it grew from nothing.

後輩こうはいのために骨ほねを折おった。

I went to great trouble for my junior colleague.

Usage The transitive form of 骨が折れる: taking pains deliberately, usually on someone else's behalf. 骨折り損 is effort wasted.

Remember it 骨 (bones) + 折る (break) → breaking your own bones over it, and by choice.

その指摘してきは耳みみが痛いたい。

That observation stings.

Usage Hearing a criticism that hits home. The speaker implicitly admits the point is fair.

Remember it 耳 (ear) + 痛い (painful) → the ear that hurts to hear it.

無事ぶじと聞きいて胸むねを撫なで下おろした。

Hearing they were safe, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Usage Relief once an anxiety is over. The relief always follows a specific worry, so it needs something to have been resolved first. Read むねをなでおろす.

Remember it 胸 (chest) + 撫で下ろす (stroke downward) → stroking the chest to settle the heart back down.

彼かれの態度たいどは目めに余あまる。

His attitude is more than one can overlook.

Usage Being too flagrant to ignore, usually leading to some intervention.

Remember it 目 (eye) + 余る (overflow) → more of it than the eye can hold and still say nothing.