Proverb / Kotowaza
揚げ足を取る
To seize on someone's minor slip of the tongue or mistake to criticize or tease them.
to grab a raised leg
Quick Answer
To seize on someone's minor slip of the tongue or mistake to criticize or tease them.
- Literal Image
- to grab a raised leg
- How to Use It
- Used to describe behavior where someone is being petty or unconstructive by focusing on verbal mistakes rather than the main topic.
Meaning
This expression describes the act of picking on trivial errors, verbal slips, or misstatements made by others. Instead of engaging with the actual substance of a conversation, the person focuses on these small faults to attack, mock, or gain an advantage over the speaker.
Literal Image
to grab a raised leg
How to Use It
Used to describe behavior where someone is being petty or unconstructive by focusing on verbal mistakes rather than the main topic.
Tone
Critical and negative; it implies the person acting this way is being annoying or unhelpful.
Examples
彼はいつも人の揚げ足を取るようなことばかり言うので苦手だ。
I'm not fond of him because he's always saying things that pick apart people's minor mistakes.
議論の本質から外れて、相手の揚げ足を取るのはやめよう。
Let's stop straying from the essence of the debate just to seize on each other's slips of the tongue.
揚げ足を取られないように、慎重に言葉を選んで話した。
I chose my words carefully to avoid giving anyone a chance to pounce on a mistake.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
The vocabulary consists of basic kanji, but the phrase is an idiomatic expression that requires understanding the metaphor of 'taking a leg' in a social context.
揚げ足
あげあし / ageashi
raised leg; a leg lifted to perform a move
取る
とる / toru
to take; to grab
言葉尻
ことばじり / kotobajiri
end of a word; slip of the tongue
Usage Profile
Usage note: Using this to describe someone's behavior is directly critical of their character or conversational style.
Misread Risk
Do not use this to describe physical tripping; it is strictly for social or verbal situations where one person exploits another's slip-up.
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Origin
The expression comes from martial arts like Sumo and Judo. It originally referred to the technique of grabbing an opponent's leg as they attempted to perform a kick or a throw, using their momentum to trip them. This physical act of exploiting a move evolved into the metaphorical meaning of seizing on a person's verbal slip or mistake to bring them down.
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