JLPT N2Idioms
しっぽを巻く
- Meaning
- かなわないと観念して逃げ出す
- Explanation
- 「しっぽを巻く」means to give up, realizing one cannot win, and flee. It comes from the way an animal tucks its tail between its legs. The opposite of c2 "to take on a challenge with full spirit," the key point is that one surrenders and retreats.
Original Japanese explanation
「しっぽを巻く」は、かなわないと観念して逃げ出すことです。動物がしっぽを足の間に巻き込む様子から来ています。c2「気合を入れて挑戦する」とは逆で、降参して退く点が要点です。
Quick check
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