[Life Hack] You are using those words incorrectly

There are several words that are used with meanings different from their original ones.

If you use these words, depending on the person you are talking to, they might be interpreted in a way different from what you intended, so you need to be careful.

Hello, I am Bosch.
I am an ordinary man who retired from an IT company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market and is currently continuing to work through re-employment.

In this article, I will share five such words that are sometimes used with meanings different from their original ones.

Yakubusoku (Insufficient role)

The original meaning of "yakubusoku" is "a role that is too light for one's own ability" or "being dissatisfied with the role assigned to oneself".

Therefore, using it to mean "the role is too heavy for one's own ability," such as in the phrase "I am yakubusoku for this," is a misuse.

If you say, "I am yakubusoku for this job," you are expressing dissatisfaction, saying, "I am not satisfied with a job like this."

Tazan no ishi (Stone from another mountain)

"Tazan no ishi" means "even someone else's trivial actions or things unrelated to oneself can serve as a reference for one's own actions".

Since what you are using as a reference is someone else's "trivial actions," using it to mean learning from someone else's "good actions" is a misuse.
It is only correct to use it when treating someone as a negative example.

Suppose you say, "I will treat this as tazan no ishi," with the humble intention of learning from the other person.
Be careful, because that will convey to the other person that you are saying, "I will be careful not to make the same mistake as you."

Omomuro ni (Slowly/calmly)

"Omomuro ni" originally means "to start calmly, gently".

It describes a state where behavior is relaxed, or the appearance of starting to move slowly without rushing.
Therefore, using it to mean "suddenly" or "abruptly/unexpectedly" is a misuse.

If you say, "A bicycle omomuro ni darted out from a side street," it means the bicycle appeared slowly.

Kinsen ni fureru (Touch the heartstrings)

"Kinsen ni fureru" is a phrase used to convey "being deeply impressed and moved".

Just as the kinsen (strings stretched on a koto) vibrate to produce a beautiful sound, it means you were so moved that the kinsen in your heart vibrated.
Therefore, using "kinsen ni fureru" to mean that you have incurred someone's anger or made them angry is a misuse.

In that case, use phrases like "gekirin ni fureru" (to touch the dragon's scales/incur imperial wrath) or "shaku ni sawaru" (to be irritating/annoying).

Kitoku (Praiseworthy)

"Kitoku" means "having excellent conduct or a mindset, worthy of praise".

In other words, it is used when someone's mindset or behavior is more admirable than others.
While it carries a nuance of being "uncommon," it does not mean "strange" or "odd."

Therefore, it is incorrect to use it to mean "a strange person" or "an odd person."

However, perhaps because it uses the kanji for "strange" (ki), it is often misused.
For this reason, even when using it in its original sense as a compliment, you need to be careful so that it is not misunderstood by the other person.

Summary

Words each have their own unique history and meaning, and they can change over time.

By understanding the original meanings and backgrounds of the words introduced in this article, and knowing what kind of misuse or misunderstandings are likely to occur, you can communicate more appropriately.

Also, when someone else uses these words, you may need to pay attention to the context to judge what intention they are using them with.

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That is all from Bosch.