数字の語呂合わせ　are basically Japanese number puns, where the number sequence when pronounced in Japanese form an actual word. They are most effective when written. It’s kind of like sms text/numeral talk lingo.

These three are the most common examples:
4649 = よろしく
39 = Thank you (サンキュウ)
5963 = ご苦労さん

Here are a handful of my personal favourites which I found on the Super Information Highway.
084=おはよ
4510=仕事
4949=至急至急
64874 = 虫歯なし
4989 = 四苦八苦
4444＝良し良し
194＝行くよ
1122 = いい夫婦

A quick Google search and you will come across a few more.

I came across another Yojijukugo today which I could totally relate to, unflattering as it is.
無芸大食　むげいたいしょく　　　　　　　　　
Let’s break it down:
無 = not existing (negation)
芸 = arts, skills, talents
大 = big
食 = meal/eat

Literal translation is: no talents, big eater/meals
Someone whose only talent is eating, essentially an unaccomplished person.
To have no special talent besides the ability to eat a lot. Which, mind you, is not necessarily one would ordinarily be proud of.

And so I did what I do best, and ate some more.
Another dinner with workmates/friends. The occasion was a friends housewarming.
Fresh spring rolls, and tomato and cabbage bake, and thai curry which was so delicious. Finished off nicely with homemade cheesecake and ice-cream.

今日の用事熟語

Youjijukugos are four kanji compounds to form an idiomatic expression.
Here’s one for today, after last night’s big drinking episode.

酔生夢死　　すいせいむし　

Let’s break it down:
酔　= drunk
製 = live/life
夢　= dream
死 = die

Live drunk and die dreaming. To drink your life away, idle one’s life away.

And now for today’s Word of the day:
解毒する　- げどくする　(’dissolve’ + ‘poison’) = to detox.

Yes, let’s dissolve the poison. 水をいっぱい飲むぞ。

This is a cool one.

Not knowing = Buddha >>> Ignorance is Bliss

しらぬがほとけ

The unknowing Buddha is calm, and all things zen in a God-like state.
Ignorance is bliss.

On the other hand, sometimes knowledge is everything.

Today’s Japanese word of the day is ‘Pearl’ ー真珠

Here is an idiom using that word:
豚に真珠 ぶたにしんじゅ , literally pearls on a pig, or in English, “to cast pearls before swine”.

It basically means, that regardless of the jewels and pearls you adorn yourself with, you’re still pretty ugly and not really attractive. You’re mutton dressed as lamb.

It conveys the meaning that a particular situation or thing is a waste of something precious,or futile to do something. In this case, it’s futile and wasteful to put pearls on a pig to make it look beautiful.　Pearls on a pig will decay. 宝の持ち腐れ　

雨どい　　　あまどい gutter

蜂の巣　　はちのす bee’s nest

水溜り　　みずたまり puddle

水玉　　　みずたま　　polka dot

よ　よ　word! 　レッツ　たんご.

My current Japanese (study-related) obsession is with the online dictionary Tangorin.

http://tangorin.com/ (link)

It’s a play on/pun of tango (meaning ’word’) and tangerine (the fruit).
It is a kick-arse Japanese dictionary with heaps of examples. You can input either English, Japanese, or romaji.
It will output words, examples, kanji, names and proper nouns etc. There are several different dictionary classifications.
There is even a multi-radical kanji search.

It is really user-friendly and quite comprehensive. It makes use of the Jim Breen EDICT files too, and you can really learn a lot of kanji with lots of examples to boot.
You can even create your own dictionary Tango list.

Definitely bookmark this!
Let’s Tango.

Other useful online dictionaries according to Tangorin:

* Yahoo!辞書
* goo辞書
* alc.co.jp
* Wikitionary
* Denshi Jisho

Alc.co.jp is my other personal favourite.

げつげつかすいもくきんきん。　Try saying that real fast. No, it’s not a 早口 but in fact an old military/naval song.
It was used after the War by the Japanese Imperial Naval Forces. Sailors were encouraged to give up their weekends to work.

Basically the translation is litrally ‘a week without Saturdays or Sundays, hence the two Mondays and Fridays- a week without a weekend, that is, nothing but work.
Quite simply, All work, no play.

As another weekend flies by, and the long days at work continue, and another Monday rolls around, this phrase is kinda appropriate.

It’s not so commonly said these days, but it can be used when you are super busy at work, and when you work overtime on weekends etc, or don’t get a break from work. It’s kinda cool just to say for fun anyway. It’s nice to roll it off the tongue.

You can read more about the history of it on Wikipedia HERE.

You can listen to the song on Youtube HERE.

目は口ほどにものを言う。

The eyes say more than the mouth.

A fairly loose translation perhaps of; “the eyes are the window to the soul”.

Here are two Japanese proverbs for the day to make us feel that little bit better about ourselves.

さるも木から落ちる。

Even monkeys fall from trees.

河童の川流れ
(かっぱのかわながれ）

Even the strongest of swimmers can drown.

＊A kappa is a mythical water-dwelling creature that are excellent swimmers.

We all make mistakes. We all fail from time to time.

Nobody’s Perfect だよね.