Proverb / Kotowaza
頭隠して尻隠さず
Hiding only a part of one's faults or misdeeds while thinking everything is concealed.
Hiding the head but not hiding the tail
Quick Answer
Hiding only a part of one's faults or misdeeds while thinking everything is concealed.
- Literal Image
- Hiding the head but not hiding the tail
- Closest Equivalent
- A fool hides his faults, but they are seen through
- How to Use It
- Used to criticize or laugh at a person making a clumsy attempt at a cover-up or providing transparent excuses.
Meaning
This proverb refers to a situation where someone attempts to cover up their mistakes, defects, or bad behavior but fails to hide the most obvious parts. It mocks the foolishness of those who believe they have successfully deceived others when their flaws remain clearly visible to everyone else.
Literal Image
Hiding the head but not hiding the tail
Equivalent Proverbs
A fool hides his faults, but they are seen through
Focuses on the transparency of a fool's deception.
To hide one’s head in the sand
Refers to ignoring reality, visualized by an ostrich, similar to the pheasant in the Japanese origin.
How to Use It
Used to criticize or laugh at a person making a clumsy attempt at a cover-up or providing transparent excuses.
Tone
Critical and mocking toward someone's lack of foresight or foolishness.
Examples
彼は、頭隠して尻隠さずで、言い訳すればするほど墓穴を掘ってしまった。
He hid his head but not his tail; the more he made excuses, the more he dug his own grave.
証拠隠滅を試みたが、頭隠して尻隠さずで、すぐにばれてしまった。
He tried to destroy the evidence, but it was a case of hiding the head but not the tail, and he was caught immediately.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
The vocabulary for body parts is simple, but the 'zazu' negative ending is a literary/classical form introduced at the intermediate.
頭
あたま / atama
head
隠して
かくして / kakushite
hiding
尻
しり / shiri
buttocks; tail; rear
隠さず
かくさず / kakusazu
without hiding; not hiding
Usage Profile
Usage note: Since this is used to mock someone's foolishness, avoid using it toward superiors or in strictly formal settings.
Misread Risk
Do not use this to describe someone who is physically hiding; it specifically refers to an incomplete concealment of a fault or secret.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
This expression is said to have originated from the behavior of a pheasant (kiji) hiding in the grass. Even if the bird hides its head, its long tail remains completely visible to others, making the attempt to hide futile.
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Source Note
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