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身から出た錆
mi kara deta sabiFacing the consequences of one's own past actions
虎の尾を踏む
tora no o wo fumuTaking an incredibly dangerous risk
猫をかぶる
neko wo kaburuTo feign innocence; hiding one's true nature behind a cute/quiet facade
化けの皮が剥がれる
bake no kawa ga hagareruFor one's disguise or malicious true nature to be exposed
折り紙付き
origami-tsukiCertified or guaranteed to be of high quality/skill
一筋縄ではいかない
hitosujinawa dewa ikanaiNot easily dealt with by ordinary means; tricky or stubborn
二の足を踏む
ni-no-ashi wo fumuTo hesitate; to be reluctant to take the next step
高嶺の花
takane no hanaSomething/someone admired from afar but unattainable
腹が据わる
hara ga suwaruTo be unshakable; to be prepared for the worst; having guts
腹を割る
hara wo waruTo speak heart-to-heart; to be completely honest
目に物見せる
me ni mono miseruTo teach someone a hard lesson; to show them what's what (usually through revenge or overwhelming power)
白い目で見る
shiroi me de miruTo look at someone with coldness, disdain, or disapproval
目が点になる
me ga ten ni naruShocked or surprised
目に入れても痛くない
me ni irete mo itakunaiDoting on someone
目は口ほどに物を言う
me wa kuchi hodo ni mono wo iuTsundere eyes vs. words
鼻が高い
hana ga takaiPride
鼻につく
hana ni tsukuAnnoying arrogance
口を割る
kuchi wo waruConfessing in interrogation
口が滑る
kuchi ga suberuSlip of the tongue
耳を疑う
mimi wo utagaiDisbelief
耳にたこができる
mimi ni tako ga dekiruSick of a lecture
眉をひそめる
mayu wo hisomeruCool disapproval
眉唾物
mayu tsubamonoShady/Suspicious
後ろ髪を引かれる
ushiro kami wo hikareruEmotional regret
怒髪天をつく
do hatsu ten wo tsukuExtreme fury
首を長くする
kubi wo nagaku suruWaiting with anticipation
首が寒い
kubi ga samuiFearing punishment/loss of job
手が付けられない
te ga tsukerarenaUnstoppable/Berserk
手を焼く
te wo yakuHard to manage
腕が鳴る
ude ga naruItching for a fight
腕が鈍る
ude ga nibiruGetting rusty
足を引っ張る
ashi wo hipparuBeing a burden to the team
足元を見る
ashimoto wo miruExploiting weakness
足元をすくわれる
ashimoto wo sukuwareruUnexpectedly tripped up
捕らぬ狸の皮算用
toranu tanuki no kawasanyoCounting chickens before they hatch
窮鼠猫を噛む
kyuuso neko wo kamuDesperation breeds courage
馬の耳に念仏
uma no mimi ni nenbutsuIn one ear, out the other
同じ穴の狢
onaji ana no mujinaBirds of a feather
虎の巻
tora no makiSecret manual or guide
棚からぼた餅
tana kara botamochiUnexpected fortune
花より団子
hana yori dangoPracticality over beauty
腐っても鯛
kusatte mo taiQuality endures
味噌をつける
miso wo tsukeruRuin or spoil
煮え湯を飲まされる
nieyu wo nomasareruBetrayed or hurt
茶茶を入れる
chacha wo ireruInterrupt or interfere
折紙付き
origami tsukiGuaranteed quality
しのぎを削る
shinogi wo kezuruCompete fiercely
急がば回れ
isogaba mawareSlow and steady wins the race
元の鞘に収まる
moto no saya ni osamaruReconciliation
急場を凌ぐ
kyuuba wo shinogouTide over crisis
太鼓判を押す
taiko ban wo osuGive full approval
猫をかぶる
neko wo kabuруDisguise true nature
兜を脱ぐ
kabuto wo nuguAdmit defeat
濡れ衣を着せられる
nureginu wo kiserareruFalse accusation
ボロが出る
boro ga deruTrue nature revealed
高嶺の花
takane no hanaUnattainable person
清水の舞台から飛び降りる
kiyomizu no butai kara tobioriTake a big risk
対岸の火事
taigan no kajiNot my problem
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Deepen Your Knowledge
Essential Idiom Dictionaries & Resources
Manga Guide to Japanese Idioms
Standard Japanese-English Idiom Dictionary
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