一工面二働 | いちくめんにはたらき | In order to be successful in this world, the first step is to devise, and the second step is to take action. |
一姫二太郎 | いちひめにたろう | It's good to have a girl first and boy next. |
井戸端会議 | いどばたかいぎ | socializing with neighbors |
運命共同体 | うんめいきょうどうたい | communities bound together by a common destiny |
得手不得手 | えてふえて | strong and weak points |
小田原評定 | おだわらひょうじょう | inconclusive discussion |
御手並拝見 | おてなみはいけん | let's see what you've got |
御役所仕事 | おやくしょしごと | red tape |
温良恭倹譲 | おんりょうきょうけんじょう | cordial, obedient, respectful, modest, and moderate |
顔見世興行 | かおみせこうぎょう | a show with an all‐star cast |
火事場泥棒 | かじばどろぼう | looter |
希代不思議 | きたいふしぎ | very rare things |
希望的観測 | きぼうてきかんそく | wishful thinking |
奇妙奇天烈 | きみょうきてれつ | very strange |
喧嘩両成敗 | けんかりょうせいばい | It takes two to tango |
言行不一致 | げんこうふいっち | inconsistency between one's words and actions |
光陰如流水 | こういんりゅうすいのごとし | time flies like an arrow |
五十歩百歩 | ごじっぽひゃっぽ | That's six of one and half a dozen of the other. |
御都合主義 | ごつごうしゅぎ | opportunism |
三方一両損 | さんぼういちりょうぞん | sharing the pain among three parties |
自転車操業 | じてんしゃそうぎょう | rob Peter to pay Paul |
四万六千日 | しまんろくせんにち | If you visit the temple on July 10, it corresponds that you have visited the temple 46,000 days which is about 126 years. |
白無垢鉄火 | しろむくてっか | looks elegant but inside is bad. |
人生足別離 | じんせいはべつりにたる | You will leave one day. |
前古未曽有 | ぜんこみぞう | unprecedented |
治国平天下 | ちこくへいてんか | govern the states and bring peace to the land |
出来合夫婦 | できあいふうふ | a couple united by mutual consent (without the intervention of a go-between) |
出来不出来 | できふでき | success or failure |
手持無沙汰 | てもちぶさた | have nothing to do |
十重二十重 | とえはたえ | a thick wall of spectators |
日常茶飯事 | にちじょうさはんじ | daily routine |
日日是好日 | にちにちこれこうじつ | every day is a good day |
二万五千日 | にまんごせんにち | Visit Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto or Nagasaki on July 10th. If you visit on this day, you will have the same benefit as visiting 25,000 days. |
糠味噌女房 | ぬかみそにょうぼう | housewifely woman |
白髪三千丈 | はくはつさんぜんじょう | worried about something. |
万物光輝生 | ばんぶつこうきをしょうず | All things give off the brilliance of life |
日和見主義 | ひよりみしゅぎ | opportunism |
非理法権天 | ひりほうけんてん | right triumphs over wrong |
武芸十八般 | ぶけいじゅうはっぱん | 18 skills of martial arts |
風呂敷残業 | ふろしきざんぎょう | overtime work at home without pay |
本来無一物 | ほんらいむいちもつ | all things are essentially nothingness |
摩訶不思議 | まかふしぎ | mysterious |
三十一文字 | みそひともじ | a song of 31 syllables |
水急不月流 | みずきゅうにしてつきをながさず | the moon was still in the stream |
妙言無古今 | みょうげんにこきんなし | wise saying is always wise. |
見様見真似 | みようみまね | following somebody's example |
無心得良悟 | むしんりょうごをう | Only when you are disinterested in things can you understand things. |
明月流素光 | めいげつそこうをながす | The bright moon is high in the sky, and the shadow of the moon casts white light on the ground. |
八重十文字 | やえじゅうもんじ | Tie a string in multiple layers vertically and horizontally. |
四畳半趣味 | よじょうはんしゅみ | enjoying food, drink and entertainment in a small room |