IdiomBody & Senses
Japanese
Japanese二階から目薬 (Nikai kara megusuri)
Meaning: A roundabout effort that has no real effect.
Literally: Eye drops from the second floor
Example: “メールで注意するだけでは二階から目薬だ。” — Just warning him by email is like putting in eye drops from upstairs; it won't work.
Equivalents in other languages
Danish: At gå over åen efter vand Literally: To cross the stream to fetch water
English: go around the houses
Origin: Dripping eye drops from the second floor into the eye of someone below is hopelessly roundabout. The saying is one of the cards of the Kyoto iroha karuta, a traditional proverb card game, and means an effort so indirect that it has no effect.
More Japanese idioms
- 棚から牡丹餅 (Tana kara botamochi) An unexpected stroke of good luck.
- 月とすっぽん (Tsuki to suppon) Two things alike at a glance but worlds apart.
- 釘を刺す (kugi o sasu) To remind someone firmly so they can't back out.
- 顔から火が出る (kao kara hi ga deru) To burn with embarrassment.
- 一石二鳥 (Isseki nichō) Getting two results from a single action.
- 目くそ鼻くそを笑う (Mekuso hanakuso o warau) Mocking someone else's faults without noticing you have the same ones.
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- Komorebi The dappled light that filters through leaves and scatters across the ground.
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