Proverbs & idioms

Japanese proverbs (ことわざ), four-character idioms (四字熟語), and idioms — from JMdict.

• 飯の食い上げめしのくいあげlosing one's means of livelihood
• 飯を食うめしをくうto make a living; to earn one's bread
• 骨肉の争いこつにくのあらそいfamily quarrel
• 鳶が鷹を生むとんびがたかをうむto have a talented child despite being untalented; a black hen lays a white egg; a kite gives birth to a hawk
• 鴨が葱を背負って来るかもがねぎをしょってくるalong comes a sucker just begging to be parted from his money; a duck comes carrying a Welsh onion on its back
• 鷸蚌の争いいつぼうのあらそいfight from which neither part benefits (but a third part does); a fight between the snipe and the clam (ends in the fisherman's profit)