Cultural dislocation

[flemmings]

I'm sure my Chinese-speaking friends go through this all the time, but it's a first for me.

So here I am with my Power Japanese book, Kanji Idioms, a run-down of four-kanji expressions such as, say, shoushin shoumei 正真正銘　(the real thing, the genuine article) or the famous kiyou binbou　器用貧乏 (inevitably-- 'jack of all trades but master of none').

Comments

[feliciter]

he covered the floor of his bedroom with the livers of wild animals...licked up all the liver

*CANNOT UNSEE*

ded of lulz brb

[flemmings]

It's worse if you see it as Uncle Ming, down on all fours like Nebuchadnezzar eating grass licking livers.

...oh dear. I think I just broke something inside.

[rasetsunyo]

LICKED UP ALL THE LIVER

Too awesome for words.

[avalonjones]

Clearly the man was a badass beyond compare!

[paleaswater]

You know, it actually makes more sense. I always thought the bit about the bitterness of gall not very intuitive.

[flemmings]

Licking up liver? Eating, yes, but covering your floor in liver carpet? Yuck.

Christian-derived me thinks licking gall is perfectly reasonable, since that's what the Romans offered crucified prisoners. Though it seems the gall might have been some other pain-killing plant instead.