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花より団子 (Hana yori dango)

Meaning: Substance over style; practicality over beauty.

Language: Japanese

Literally: Dumplings over flowers

Category: Food & Drink

Origin: Japanese proverb referencing hanami (cherry blossom viewing) picnics.

More idioms — Food & Drink

  • Tener mala leche — To be in a foul mood or have bad intentions.
  • Ser pan comido — To be extremely easy.
  • Dar calabazas — To reject someone romantically.
  • Non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco — Things don't always go as planned.
  • Cadere a fagiolo — To arrive at exactly the perfect moment.
  • Acqua in bocca — Keep it secret; don't tell anyone.

More Japanese idioms

  • 猫をかぶる (Neko wo kaburu) — To hide one's true nature; to act innocent.
  • 馬の耳に念仏 (Uma no mimi ni nenbutsu) — Wasted advice on someone who won't listen.
  • 雀の涙 (suzume no namida) — A pitifully small amount.
  • 対牛弾琴 (Tai gyū dan kin) — Wasting effort on an unappreciative audience.
  • 口が滑る (kuchi ga suberu) — To accidentally let something slip.
  • 蛇足 (dassoku) — Something completely unnecessary; a superfluous addition.

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