JLPT N1Idioms
泡を食う
- Meaning
- ひどく驚き慌てふためく
- Explanation
- "泡を食う" means to be greatly startled by a sudden situation and to panic. As in "泡を食って逃げ出す (flee in a panic)," it expresses being flustered and losing composure. c1 "怒って暴れる (get angry and rampage)" differs in direction, with the emotion being anger; the core of this question is the dismay caused by surprise.
Original Japanese explanation
「泡を食う」は突然の事態にひどく驚き、慌てふためくこと。「泡を食って逃げ出す」のように、うろたえて取り乱す様子を表す。c1「怒って暴れる」は感情が怒りで方向が異なり、本問の核心は驚きによる狼狽である。
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