貧乏暇なし
びんぼひまなし
Literally: poverty free time lacks
Better: poverty has no free time, poor people have no free time

generally used as a self-deprecating gesture
I'm poor, so I have no free time

(and my friend points out that there is a certain element of pride there, too. I'm so busy -- and undervalued -- that I have no free time)

So... 貧乏暇なし gotta

Hum -- someone is having trouble with a computer that someone else used before, and didn't clean up. In talking about the problem, they fell back on this saying:
( Japanese behind the curtains . . . )

Interesting. This was in the collection of phrases on my calendar that I've occasionally been translating for Japanese practice. It's a short phrase describing the enlightenment of the masses.
( The Gory Details of Japanese )

This year, the NTT calendar has Japanese four character sayings, along with an explanation, and English translations. There's one every two months, so for January and February, we have the Japanese

意気揚揚：よし、頑張ってみるか待ってましたその言葉
( musing . . . )

笑門来福：わらうかどくるふく：warau kado kuru fuku ( Read more... )