Japanese Idiom Quiz | Applying Expressions to Emotion, Evaluation, Skill, and Interpersonal Conduct, Standard Set 2
Problem 1
People in a community feel deep respect for someone who has cleaned a school route every morning for twenty years without seeking payment. Which Japanese idiom best expresses their feeling?
View explanation
They admire and respect years of selfless service, so 「頭が下がる」 is the best fit. 「頭が上がらない」 means being unable to act as an equal because of a sense of indebtedness or the other person's power. Here, the focus is respect for dedicated conduct, not a personal debt.
Problem 2
A construction manager must neither lower safety standards, increase the budget, nor move the completion date. Every proposal considered has reached a dead end, and the manager no longer knows what to do. Which Japanese idiom describes this state?
View explanation
The manager is at a loss and troubled because no solution can be found, so 「頭を抱える」 is the best fit. 「頭を絞る」 focuses on the act of thinking hard to produce an idea. Although the manager has been considering options, the question asks about the present state of having exhausted them and being unable to proceed.
Problem 3
Six months ago, a learner struggled even with short conversations, but at a recent presentation the learner answered questions fluently. Which expression describes an instructor's surprise and admiration at progress far beyond expectations?
View explanation
The instructor is deeply surprised and impressed by the unexpected progress, so 「目を見張った」 is the best fit. 「目を光らせる」 means keeping strict watch for wrongdoing or danger. Merely watching the learner carefully would not convey the surprise and admiration expressed here.
Problem 4
In the sentence 「田中さんは焼き菓子には目がなく、新しい店を見つけると必ず買って帰る」, Tanaka always buys baked sweets upon finding a new shop. What does 「目がない」 mean in this context?
View explanation
In 「焼き菓子には目がない」, the expression means being extremely fond of baked sweets and strongly drawn to them. 「目がない」 can also mean lacking the judgment to distinguish quality, but that is the sense found in a context such as 「人を見る目がない」, meaning an inability to judge people well.
Problem 5
Two employees disagree over the division of work. Without checking the records or hearing both accounts, their manager defends only the employee with whom the manager is close, saying, "He did nothing wrong." Which Japanese idiom describes the manager's conduct?
View explanation
The manager takes the side of one party in a dispute, based on personal closeness and without checking the facts, so 「肩を持つ」 is the best fit. 「肩の荷が下りる」 means feeling relieved after being freed from a responsibility or burden; it has nothing to do with favoring and defending one side.
Problem 6
An experienced chef is put in charge of a commemorative dinner. Drawing fully on established skills, the chef creates a varied menu from limited ingredients. Which expression describes the chef's work?
View explanation
The chef fully demonstrates already acquired culinary skills in a real assignment, so 「腕を振るう」 is the best fit. 「腕を磨く」 means improving a skill through practice, while 「腕が鳴る」 describes eagerness to demonstrate one's skill. In this case, the chef actually applies the skill and completes the dishes.
Problem 7
In which sentence is 「骨を折る」 used idiomatically to mean sparing no effort to help someone?
View explanation
The support worker devotes substantial effort to finding housing for evacuees and coordinating with the people involved, so this is the idiomatic use of 「骨を折る」. The sentence about the athlete describes a literal bone fracture. Because the idiom means making a determined effort, it also cannot describe immediately abandoning a difficult task.
Problem 8
Rehearsals for a concert are going smoothly and the participants are growing more enthusiastic. A visitor then says without any basis, "No one will come anyway," and drains the room's momentum. Which Japanese idiom describes this remark?
View explanation
The negative remark intrudes on a successful rehearsal and rising enthusiasm, spoiling the momentum and atmosphere, so 「水を差す」 is the best fit. 「水を向ける」 means prompting someone with a topic so that the person begins to speak. The visitor does not draw out a conversation but disrupts the activity's progress.
Problem 9
An employee delivering internal mail spends forty minutes chatting at the destination during working hours and delays assigned work. Which Japanese idiom describes neglecting work through idle conversation?
View explanation
The employee spends working time on prolonged idle talk and neglects the assigned task, so 「油を売る」 is the best fit. The key condition is wasting time in the middle of work, rather than chatting during an authorized break. 「骨を折る」 means sparing no effort in one's work or for another person, the opposite of this conduct.
Problem 10
Before a meeting, a manager distributes unpublished material and checks with each participant: "You may view this only during the meeting. Promise that you will neither forward nor remove it." Which Japanese idiom describes this pointed reminder intended to prevent a breach of the agreement?
View explanation
Before distributing the material, the manager states the restrictions and confirms the promise so that no one can later violate it or make excuses; therefore, 「釘を刺す」 is the best fit. The essential point is a firm advance warning about foreseeable conduct, not a reprimand after a problem occurs. 「腹を割る」 means speaking openly without concealing one's true feelings.