Proverb / Kotowaza
頭の黒い鼠
Refers to an insider, such as a family member or employee, who steals or embezzles from within.
a black-headed mouse
Quick Answer
Refers to an insider, such as a family member or employee, who steals or embezzles from within.
- Literal Image
- a black-headed mouse
- How to Use It
- Used to describe situations of internal theft, embezzlement, or betrayal of trust by someone close to the victim.
Meaning
When items or money go missing, people suspect animals or external causes, but this expression reveals that the true culprit is a human insider. It uses 'black-headed' to refer to human hair, likening a trusted relative, servant, or employee to a thieving mouse operating from the inside.
Literal Image
a black-headed mouse
How to Use It
Used to describe situations of internal theft, embezzlement, or betrayal of trust by someone close to the victim.
Tone
Critical and accusatory; it emphasizes the sting of betrayal by someone within one's own circle.
Examples
商品の在庫が合わないと思ったら、「頭の黒い鼠」の仕業だった。社員の一人が横領していたのだ
When I realized the product inventory didn't match, it turned out to be the work of a 'black-headed mouse.' One of the employees had been embezzling.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
The vocabulary (head, black, mouse) is basic, but the metaphorical usage to describe internal embezzlement is an advanced idiomatic concept.
頭
あたま / atama
head
黒い
くろい / kuroi
black
鼠
ねずみ / nezumi
mouse or rat
Usage Profile
Usage note: This is a serious accusation of theft and betrayal; it should only be used when internal guilt is confirmed.
Misread Risk
Do not use this to refer to literal rodents; it is strictly a metaphor for human betrayal.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
While real mice are covered in fur, the 'black-headed mouse' refers to a human with black hair. This expression is a euphemistic metaphor that identifies a human insider as the culprit in a theft, rather than an external intruder or a literal pest.
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Topics, Situations, and Tags
Topics
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Source Note
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