Complete Japanese Expression Guide. Mizue Sasaki
no uchi, mongen ga hachiji na no.
BŌIFURENDO:
Ā, hako-iri musume to tsukiau no wa taihen da na.
GIRLFRIEND:
I have to be home by eight o'clock.
BOYFRIEND:
Ah, it's hard seeing a girl who's watched so carefully by her parents.
Hako-iri musume refers to a daughter whose upbringing is so strict that she is hardly ever allowed to go out. Originally, hako-iri referred to things of value that were placed in boxes, carefully stored away, and rarely taken out. Precautions were taken to ensure that the box and its contents were not infested by insects. In modern usage, the threat is not insects but young men.
EXAMPLES
1. Watashi wa hako-iri musume nankaja arimasen.
I'm not a naive girl who knows nothing of the world.
2. Uchi no hako-iri musume ni, te o dasu na yo.
Keep your hands off our precious daughter.
3. Hako-iri musume ni sodateta no wa, mazukatta.
It was wrong to give our daughter such a cloistered upbringing.
4. Hako-iri musume wa seken-shirazu ga oi.
Many girls from respectable families who have had a sheltered upbringing know nothing of the world.
5. Uchi no oyome-san wa, hako-iri musume datta.
Our daughter-in-law had a sheltered upbringing.
haku ga tsuku
gain prestige, have a feather added to one's cap
TOMODACHI 1:
Satō-san, kondo hakase-gō o totta sō desu yo.
TOMODACHI 2:
Kore de, kare ni mata haku ga tsukimashita ne.
FRIEND 1:
I hear that Sato recently obtained his doctorate.
FRIEND 2:
That will be yet another feather in his cap, won't it?
Haku ga tsuku means being recognized by society and gaining prestige. Haku is foil or leaf made of gold, silver, copper, or tin, and is produced by beating out the metals until they are paper-thin. It is then added to structures or craftwork, giving the surface an attractive finish and increasing the value of the object. It is the association with this idea that gives the expression its present-day meaning. Haku o tsukeru (build up one's reputation) is the corresponding transitive form.
EXAMPLES
1. Kokku ga Furansu de shugyō shi, haku ga tsuita.
The chef added to his reputation by undergoing training in France.
2. Furansu ni itta no wa, tan ni haku o tsukeru tame desu,
The reason I went to France was merely to build up my reputation.
3. Haku ga tsuite mo, dōryōku shinakatta sei de shigoto nojitsuryoku wa amari arimasen.
Even though he has gained in prestige, he isn't very competent.
4. Piano-konkūru de yūshō shi, haku ga tsuita.
Winning the first prize in the piano competition added a feather to his cap.
hame o hazusu
have a wild time, get out of control
BUCHŌ:
Konban wa ōi ni nomō. Tsukiatte kureru ne.
BUKA:
Jitsu wa kanai ga byōki de, hame o hazusu wake ni ikanain' desu.
DEPARTMENT CHIEF:
Let's go out and have a good time drinking tonight. You'll come along, won't you?
SUBORDINATE:
Actually, my wife's sick so I can't really do anything too wild.
Hame o hazusu means to let oneself go and have a wild time. There are two suggested explanations as to the origin of this idiom, the first of which claims that hame means the bit that a horse holds between its teeth. Once this is removed, the horse can no longer be restrained or controlled. The second explanation claims that hame comes from hameita, a board that covers a hole or trench. Removing this board could lead to disaster.
EXAMPLES
1. Kimi, yūbe wa hame o hazushi-sugita yo.
You were way out of control last night, you know.
2. Jibun de wa, sukoshi wa yotte ita kedo, kesshite hame o hazushita tsumori wa arimasen.
I was a little drunk, but I didn't think I was out of control.
3. Gaikoku dakara to itte, hame o hazushite mo ii wake de wa nai.
Being abroad is no excuse for acting wild.
4. Anata, hame o hazusu ni mo gendo ga arimasu.
It's all right to let yourself go up to a point, but there are limits.
hana ga takai
proud, stuck up
GAKUSEI:
Sensei, o-kagesama de, Tōdai ni gōkaku shimashita.
SENSEI:
Sore wa omedetō. Watashi mo yūshū na seito o motte, hana ga takai yo.
STUDENT:
Thank you for all the support you've given me. I have been accepted into Tokyō University.
TEACHER:
Congratulations. I am proud of having an excellent student.
Hana ga takai, literally "high nose," means to feel proud; hana o takaku sum is another phrase with the same meaning. Other phrases using hana include hana ni kakeru (be conceited or vain) and hana ni tsuku (get tired of or be fed up with).
EXAMPLES
1. Rippa na musuko-sano o-mochi de, sazo hana ga takai deshō.
You must be so proud to have such a wonderful son.
2. Kanojo wa totemo hana ni tsuku hito da.
She is really stuck up.
3. Boku wa kimi no yō na koibito ga ite, hana ga takai yo,
I'm so proud to have a girlfriend like you.
4. Sensei wa anata no koto de, totemo hana o takaku shite imashita yo.
The teacher was very proud of you.
hana-mochi naranai
detestable, disgusting
DŌRYŌ 1:
Suzuki-san no hanashi wa musuko-san no jiman bakari de, iya ni narimasu ne.
DŌRYŌ 2:
Hontō