Let's collects idioms and slang!

I found this super cute blog post where a guy took the idiom
オブラートに包む
And literally did just that.

It means to sugar-coat your words, but do check out the post to see what the literal Japanese means.

One of the phrase he uses is
ぶぶ漬けでもどうですか?, which he says is an expression that means “return home quickly,” but I’m totally unfamiliar with that phrase. Does anyone know the context in which it is used?

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It’s an expression from Kyoto. ぶぶ漬け is a meal (it’s usually called お茶漬け in other places, as far as I know). That expression is used when someone is staying way too long at your place, as in, it’s actually time for you to eat, so, on the surface, you ask them if they want to join. They are supposed to get the clue and leave.

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I like this proverb: 二兎を追う者は一兎も得ず
If you run after two rabbits, you may not catch any.

Like the English You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

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It’s more like the tale of the Dog with Two Bones - the moral being if you get greedy and try for both, you will get neither. I can’t think of an English idiom that covers that particular meaning off the top of my head.

“You can’t have you cake and eat it too” is more like “you can only have one or the other”.

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Interestingly enough, we have a very similar proverb where I live :sweat_smile:

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猿も木から落ちる
Even monkeys fall from trees.

花より団子
Dango > Flowers

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百聞は一見に如かず

A picture is worth a thousand words

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“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” is a little bit similar in meaning, maybe.

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I’m familiar with the usage of the monkeys one-- even if you are experienced and skillful, you sometimes make mistakes,

But how is 花より団子 used?

It’s better to have something to eat than to have something beautiful to look at (which doesn’t feed you).

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From Genki 2:

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One of my all time favorites:
デザートは別腹
Which explains WHY “there’s always room for dessert”)

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