Things Japanese/Americans Can Say With Their Feet
A look at a dictionary and one will find these 10 other things (in addition to the ones I have already written about) that Japanese can say with their feet/legs.
It might be more of a testimony to what I don’t know than what I do, but these ten expressions never made it into any conversation that I was a part of.
Does that mean they are not useful?
It meant that to me.
Have you ever heard them used?
Have you ever tried using them?
足がつく[あしがつく, ashi ga tsuku] leave tracks
足が遠退く[あしがとおのく, ashi ga toonoku] be far away; keep away; visit less often
足が速める[あしがはやめる, ashi ga hayameru] pick up the pace; walk faster
足でまとい[あしでまとい, ashi de matoi] a drag; a person who is a burden
足止めをする[あしどめをする, ashidome o suru] slow down; stop
足並みをそろえ[あしなみをそろえて, ashinami o soroete] cooperate
足元に付け込む[あしもとにつけこむ, ashimoto ni tsukekomu] have a person at a disadvantage
足元の明るいうちに[あしもとのあかるいうちに, ashimoto no akarui uchi ni] a thing should be done before it is too late
足を奪われる[あしをうばわれる, ashi o ubawareru] be deprived of
足を出す[あしをだす, ashi o dasu] reveal a secret; let the cat out of the bag
Off the top of my head, I can think of a few things we Americans say with our feet -
Costs an arm and a leg = way too expensive.
Have a leg up on someone = be ahead of someone else in ability.
Pulling my leg = teasing me.
He has one foot in the grave = really old, almost dead.
He will foot the bill = he will pay for us.
Can you think of others?
It might be more of a testimony to what I don’t know than what I do, but these ten expressions never made it into any conversation that I was a part of.
Does that mean they are not useful?
It meant that to me.
Have you ever heard them used?
Have you ever tried using them?
足がつく[あしがつく, ashi ga tsuku] leave tracks
足が遠退く[あしがとおのく, ashi ga toonoku] be far away; keep away; visit less often
足が速める[あしがはやめる, ashi ga hayameru] pick up the pace; walk faster
足でまとい[あしでまとい, ashi de matoi] a drag; a person who is a burden
足止めをする[あしどめをする, ashidome o suru] slow down; stop
足並みをそろえ[あしなみをそろえて, ashinami o soroete] cooperate
足元に付け込む[あしもとにつけこむ, ashimoto ni tsukekomu] have a person at a disadvantage
足元の明るいうちに[あしもとのあかるいうちに, ashimoto no akarui uchi ni] a thing should be done before it is too late
足を奪われる[あしをうばわれる, ashi o ubawareru] be deprived of
足を出す[あしをだす, ashi o dasu] reveal a secret; let the cat out of the bag
Off the top of my head, I can think of a few things we Americans say with our feet -
Costs an arm and a leg = way too expensive.
Have a leg up on someone = be ahead of someone else in ability.
Pulling my leg = teasing me.
He has one foot in the grave = really old, almost dead.
He will foot the bill = he will pay for us.
Can you think of others?
April 9, 2008 - 9:48 am
Tags: american, japanese, leg
Categories: Culture
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