炒鱿魚 鱿魚は中国語でイカのこと。イカを炒めるとはどういうことでしょうか。
In literal terms, it means fried cuttlefish, as you probably already know. In slang terms, it means to be fired, as in sacked from a job.
In literal terms, it means fried cuttlefish, as you probably already know. In slang terms, it means to be fired, as in sacked from a job.
This interesting expression can be traced back to a certain Cantonese speaking region in China.
In the past, there is a class of workers who work for a boss that provides all the necessities of food and shelter,
so for these workers they always carry with them their luggage
and a portable flat matress which can be rolled up, like a sleeping bag.
This also means that when one of these workers have to be fired or sacked,
they have to pack their luggage and roll up their mats before leaving.
In the past, there is a class of workers who work for a boss that provides all the necessities of food and shelter,
so for these workers they always carry with them their luggage
and a portable flat matress which can be rolled up, like a sleeping bag.
This also means that when one of these workers have to be fired or sacked,
they have to pack their luggage and roll up their mats before leaving.
Getting fired or sacked is never a nice thing to say, and a pretty sensitive topic as well,
so these people thought up of something less un-nice to replace to those terms,
and it was 炒鱿鱼. Why? Because when they roll up their mats (after getting sacked), they roll it from both sides into the centre,
strangely resembling what happens when you are frying a cuttlefish (the flimsy cuttlefish curls up exactly the same way
the mats are rolled back up).
so these people thought up of something less un-nice to replace to those terms,
and it was 炒鱿鱼. Why? Because when they roll up their mats (after getting sacked), they roll it from both sides into the centre,
strangely resembling what happens when you are frying a cuttlefish (the flimsy cuttlefish curls up exactly the same way
the mats are rolled back up).
This probably also gives us a hint of what kind of workers came up with this slang word for getting sacked.
They were probably hired cooks in a restaurant who prepares cuttlefish a lot lol.
They were probably hired cooks in a restaurant who prepares cuttlefish a lot lol.
昔子供のころ石油ストーブでイカを焼いて食べたけれどもおいしかったなー。
中国語、漢字だと表現に味があっていいですね。
日本語のリストラだと味も素っ気もない。
中国語、漢字だと表現に味があっていいですね。
日本語のリストラだと味も素っ気もない。