JLPT N2Idioms
油を売る
- Meaning
- 仕事の途中で無駄話をして時間をつぶす
- Explanation
- "油を売る" means to waste time chatting idly in the middle of work and slack off. Note that it does not mean buying and selling, as in c3 "sell things cheaply" or c1 "make a profit in business," but refers to the act of "being lazy."
Original Japanese explanation
「油を売る」は、仕事の途中で無駄話などをして時間をつぶし、なまけることです。c3「物を安く売る」やc1「商売で儲かる」のような売買の意味ではなく、「怠ける」行為を指す点に注意しましょう。
Quick check
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