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蜥蜴の尻尾切り. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
蜥蜴の尻尾切り, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
蜥蜴の尻尾切り in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
蜥蜴の尻尾切り you have here. The definition of the word
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Japanese
Etymology
Literally, “cutting lizard's tail”, 蜥蜴 (tokage, “lizard”) + の (no, possessive particle) + 尻尾 (shippo, “tail”) + 切り (kiri, “cut”). In the alternative pronunciation, きり becomes ぎり due to rendaku (連濁).
Pronunciation
Noun
蜥蜴の尻尾切り or 蜥蜴の尻尾切り • (tokage no shippo kiri or tokage no shippo giri)
- (literally) the behavior of some lizards to drop their tail in order to escape a predator
- (idiomatic) passing the buck to a subordinate; making an underling carry the can
2014, Yasuo Takeuchi, ‘Nihonjin rashisa’ to nani ka , page 21:
- 組織のトップは、組織を防衛するために辞任することが多い。 「トカゲの尻尾切り」ではなく、「トカゲの頭切り」「首のすげ替え」によって組織防衛である。
- Soshiki no toppu wa, soshiki o bōei suru tame ni jinin suru koto ga ōi. “Tokage no shippo giri” de wa naku, “tokage no atama kiri” “kubi no sugekae” ni yotte soshiki bōei dearu.
- Often the head of an organization will resign to protect the organization. Rather than “cutting the lizard’s tail”, this is defending the organization by “cutting the lizard’s head”, “swapping necks”.
2015, Satoshi Tomisaka, Xi Jinping no tatakai: Chūgoku Kyōsantō no tenkanki , page 13:
- こうした取り締まりによって黒幕ともいえる大物官僚が捕まることはなく、たいていはトカゲのしっぽ切りで終わっていた。
- Kō shita torishimari ni yotte kuromaku to mo ieru ōmono kanryō ga tsukamaru koto wa naku, taitei wa tokage no shippo giri de owatte-ita.
- In this type of crackdown, major bureaucrats who can be called fixers are never caught; someone usually ends up carrying the can.
References