English is something of an international language, and so it tends to make out with a lot of native tongues. In Japan, I hear a lot of English phrases scattered into otherwise Japanese conversations. Most of them, however, make no sense to anyone who isn’t Japanese.
It’s called “wasei-eigo,” or “Japanese-Made English.” Most Japanese don’t know that these expressions are incomprehensible, but I’ve made an effort to learn them because I hate embarrassing people when they try to show me their English.
Here’s a list of some English words you won’t understand in Japan, used in a sample sentence.
Cider
The go-to word for “pop” or “soda,” ie, anything carbonated that isn’t beer.
“This cider is just what I need after a long run.”
Doctor Stop
A pithy phrase used when the doctor tells you to stop.
“I really want a cigarette. But I can’t do it, man. Doctor stop.”
Long-Life Coolant
Antifreeze.
“The dog died. It drank the long-life coolant.”
Fashion Health
A Brothel.
“I lost my virginity to fashion health.”
Guts Pose
A Fist Bump.
“Some say Barack Obama’s odd gesture with Michelle was a terrorist guts pose.”
Handle Keeper
The designated driver.
“I got totally wasted. Good thing my bro was an awesome handle keeper.”
The In Key
A key that has been locked inside of your car.
“Oh man. The in key is right there!”
Tension
Excitement.
“That party had too much tension. I couldn’t stop dancing!”
Gender Free
Sexual Equality.
“There’s been a lot of tension here since this office went gender-free.”
Juice
Juice or Soda.
“Do you want a juice? We have cider.”
Soft Drink
Juice.
“Do you want a soft drink? We have pine.”
My Boom
One’s personal taste in matters of style.
“Pink leopard-print pants match my red-dyed mullet. What can I say? It’s my boom.”
Moody
Nice.
“Rick sure is moody. Why don’t we promote him?”
Pine
Pineapple.
“Oh, this pine flavored cider looks delicious!”
Poemer
A Poet.
“Yeah, well, I don’t need to play sports to get girls. I’m gonna be a really good poemer.”
Follow This Japanese Life on Facebook to enhance your boom.
Wow… Drinks are confusing…
When I lived in Montreal, “Spruce Beer” or pine-flavored soda was one of the regular beverage options. It tasted like fizzy Pinesol.
Wow. I can envision Pine Sol in a Japanese vending machine, actually.
New objective: Just smile and nod, pretend to know what they’re saying…
A “boom” is a fad or craze, so I’ve always taken “my boom” to mean “something I’ve been really into/crazy about lately”. It doesn’t have to be style-related; it could also be a hobby, recent interest, etc.
Don’t forget “skinship.” Essentially means physical touch/contact, such as with your partner, kids, etc. “Power spot” is another one.
I love “Skinship!” It’s a really specifically Japanese thing, too, I think.
I’m pretty sure they use this term in South Korea too. :)
Ugh, power spots!
Cider and pie being totally different in English and Japanese makes trying to explain the merits of American fall cuisine (apple cider! apple and pumpkin pie) nearly impossible.
“Camping Car” ~ Recreational Vehicle (RV)
So many regarding baseball, I no longer know which is which.
UFO discovery!
So what’s that one, then?!
Actually, “guts pose” isn’t a fist bump; it’s a fist pump or a triumphant pose.
Yeah, “tension” is funny.
“Guts pose” is from a world champion boxer in 1974 though many Japanese nowadays would think it as an English word.
Long-Life Coolant could be used in English though I am not sure. Sometimes, native English speakers are wrong when foreigners use correct words from English technical terms.
One more possible correction: I tried to use “guts pose” with the meaning you listed here, but I was meant with blank stares! Apparently it doesn’t mean “fist bump”, but the way a boxer triumphantly raises both fists in the air.
Today, I thought I used a Japanese-made English word.
tone down
, which is commonly used everywhere at マスコミ
I checked “tone down” and found it was correct English word ……….
Grrrrr…..I would be suspicious of anything Katakana.
I love this post! Please tell me what “gravure” is.
So, ‘tension’ means excitement… this explains something I’ve always wondered about! I could never figure out why someone who is “High Tension” is in a good mood and someone “Low Tension” is in a bad mood. I see now; it turns out that it’s not about how much stress (tension) they’re under, but how much energy/excitement they have.
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