The short end
Idioms, Stage 2chunk 14 of 21Luck, trouble & outcomes
Coming off worse: stuck with a chore, playing into someone's hands, taking the blame, drawing the worst lot.
- hame ni naruend up having to do something unpleasantliterally “come to a hame (a tight spot)”
- omou tsuboexactly what they wantliterally “the (dice) cup one has in mind”
- nureginu o kiserufalsely accuse, pin it on someoneliterally “make someone wear wet clothes”
- binbou kuji o hikube the one who loses out, get stuck with the worst job or the raw dealliterally “draw the poverty lot”
Mix-ups hame ni naru (stuck doing it) shares hame with hame o hazusu (let loose) in Getting carried away; binbou kuji o hiku is about being the unlucky one, hame ni naru about the chore itself.
hame ni naru
polite hame ni narimasu
“come to a hame (a tight spot)”
end up having to do something unpleasant
The everyday grumble about getting stuck with a chore or a bad outcome: after a plain verb (zangyou suru hame ni natta) or konna (konna hame ni naru nante). Mostly past, or as a warning (... suru hame ni naru yo). Only for results you didn't want.
Neutral alternative: ... koto ni natta (it turned out that ...).
kekkyoku hitori de katazukeru hame ni natta
I ended up stuck cleaning up alone.
結局一人で片付ける羽目になった
kekkyoku hitori de katazukeru hame ni narimashita
I ended up having to clean up by myself.
結局一人で片付ける羽目になりました
Written 羽目になる · はめになるHeard 143× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside binbou kuji o hikuMain list naru (Stage 1), kekkyoku (Stage 4), hitori de (Stage 3)
omou tsubo
polite omou tsubo desu
“the (dice) cup one has in mind”
exactly what they want
In English: play right into someone's hands
Almost always X no omou tsubo da: if you react, you're doing just what the other side wants. People use it to talk someone out of taking the bait, as in sore ja aite no omou tsubo da yo.
Usually with aite (the other side): aite no omou tsubo.
okottara aitsu no omou tsubo da yo
Get angry and you play right into his hands.
怒ったらあいつの思うつぼだよ
okottara aite no omou tsubo desu yo
If you get angry, that's exactly what they want.
怒ったら相手の思うつぼですよ
Written 思うつぼ · おもうつぼHeard 53× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesMain list omou (Stage 2)
nureginu o kiseru
polite nureginu o kisemasu
“make someone wear wet clothes”
falsely accuse, pin it on someone
Mostly heard from the person who was wrongly blamed: nureginu o kiserareta (I was falsely accused), or just nureginu da! (I didn't do it!). It works for small blame at school or work, not only for crimes.
The bare noun is common: nureginu da! (that's a false accusation!).
nureginu o kiserareta n da yo
I got blamed for something I didn't do.
濡れ衣を着せられたんだよ
nureginu o kiserareta n desu yo
I was blamed for something I didn't do.
濡れ衣を着せられたんですよ
Written 濡れ衣を着せる · ぬれぎぬをきせるHeard 50× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesMain list -areru / -rareru (Stage 2)
binbou kuji o hiku
polite binbou kuji o hikimasu
“draw the poverty lot”
be the one who loses out, get stuck with the worst job or the raw deal
In English: draw the short straw
The grumble when you end up the one who loses out, often stuck with the job, role or seat nobody wanted, through bad luck or being too nice: mata binbou kuji hiichatta. hame ni naru is about the chore itself; binbou kuji is about being the unlucky one.
mata binbou kuji hiichatta yo.
Ugh, I drew the short straw again.
また貧乏くじ引いちゃったよ。
mata binbou kuji o hiite shimaimashita.
I drew the short straw again.
また貧乏くじを引いてしまいました。
Written 貧乏くじを引く · びんぼうくじをひくHeard 10× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside hame ni naruMain list mata (Stage 3), -chau (Stage 1)