メンチを切る

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Japanese[edit]

FWOTD – 16 September 2015
Kanji in this term
切
き
Grade: 2
kun’yomi

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Phrase composed of メンチ (menchi, various possible derivations; see below) + を (o, object particle) + 切る (kiru, “to cut something, to cut across something, to break something; to do something boldly”).

Unknown derivation. メンチ (menchi) on its own generally means mince, as in mincemeat, ground meat.[1][2] That does not fit this idiom, however.

One explanation is that メンチ (menchi) is an alteration of メンタ, as found in the synonymous Kansai expression メンタを切る (menta o kiru). In this, menta is an alteration of 目の玉 (me no tama, “eyeball”): /me no tama/ → /mentama/ → /menta/. The standard term 目玉 (medama, “eyeball”) is also used metaphorically to mean a glare, a stare; a scolding; compare English hairy eyeball, to eye. In this case, the phrase could be parsed as: menta o kiru → “to boldly eyeball someone” → “to glare in challenge”.

Phonetically, however, there is no clear mechanism for メンタ (menta) to change into メンチ (menchi). A more likely phonetic origin might be 面子 (mentsu, “face, honor”). In this case, the phrase could be parsed as: menchi o kiru → “to cut / break someone else's honor” → “to glare in challenge”.

The derivation may be a combination of the above, where menta may have been influenced by mentsu to become menchi.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): [mẽ̞ɴt͡ɕi o̞ kiɾ̠ɯᵝ]

Verb[edit]

メンチを切(き)る • (menchi o kiru) 

  1. (idiomatic, chiefly Kansai, slang) to stare or glare in challenge; by extension, to pick a fight
    • 2008, 石原伸司, 逢えてよかった 夜回り組長にココロを預けた少女たちのホンネ, 産経新聞出版, →ISBN, page 20:
      いつものように渋(しぶ)谷(や)センター街(がい)を夜(よ)回(まわ)りしていると、若(わか)い娘(むすめ)が出(で)会(あ)い頭(がしら)にぶつかってきた。「なにメンチ切(き)ってんだよ、オッさん！」 […] 自(じ)分(ぶん)でぶつかっておきながら、男(おとこ)のような言(こと)葉(ば)で因(いん)縁(ねん)を吹(ふ)っかけてくる。
      Itsumo no yō ni Shibuya Sentā-gai o yomawari shite iru to, wakai musume ga deaigashira ni butsukatte kita.“Nani menchi kitte n da yo, ossan!” […] Jibun de butsukatte okinagara, otoko no yō na kotoba de innen o fukkakete kuru.
      While I was was doing the night rounds through Shibuya Center Street as always, a young girl bumped into me as we passed. “What the hell are you staring at, old man!” […] Despite her being the one who bumped into me, she tried picking a fight with me with these mannish words.
    • 2013, All About, Inc., editors, Garyū Shingo Taiho / Taima Osen wa Naze Tsuzuku [Shingo Garyū Arrest: Why Does Marijuana Pollution Continue?]‎[1]:
      我(が)龍(りゅう)は Ｍ&(エム&)#45;１(ワン) ミドル級(きゅう)王(おう)者(じゃ)のタイトルを保(ほ)持(じ)（逮(たい)捕(ほ)後(ご)の27(にじゅうしち)日(にち)に返(へん)上(じょう)）、Ｋ&(ケイ&)#45;１(ワン)MAX( マックス)を始(はじ)めキック各(かく)団(だん)体(たい)に参(さん)戦(せん)。元(もと)暴(ぼう)走(そう)族(ぞく)という“前(ぜん)歴(れき)”を売(う)りに、金(きん)髪(ぱつ)に染(そ)めたヘアスタイルに、特(とっ)攻(こう)服(ふく)のヤンキースタイルで入(にゅう)場(じょう)、対(たい)戦(せん)前(まえ)には相(あい)手(て)にメンチを切(き)る（にらみ合(あ)う）という不(ふ)良(りょう)パフォーマンスで人(にん)気(き)を博(はく)した名(めい)物(ぶつ)選(せん)手(しゅ)。
      garyū wa Emu-wan midoru-kyū ōja no taitoru o hoji (taiho go no nijūshichi-nichi ni henjō), Kei-wan Makkusu o hajime kikku kakudantai ni sansen. moto bōsōzoku to iu “zenreki” o uri ni, kinpatsu ni someta hea sutairu ni, tokkōfuku no yankī sutairu de nyūjō, taisen mae ni wa aite ni menchi o kiru (niramiau) to iu furyō pafōmansu de ninki o hakushita meibutsu senshu.
      Garyū held the title of M-1 middleweight champion (relinquished on the 27th, after his arrest), and competed in K-1 Max and the other kickboxing leagues. He was a famous competitor who gained popularity for his bad-boy performance, playing up his "past history" as a former biker gang member, coming into the ring wearing his gang regalia with his hair dyed blond, and glaring a challenge at his opponent before a match.

Conjugation[edit]

Conjugation of "メンチを切る" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective") メンチを切ら メンチをきら menchi o kira
Ren’yōkei ("continuative") メンチを切り メンチをきり menchi o kiri
Shūshikei ("terminal") メンチを切る メンチをきる menchi o kiru
Rentaikei ("attributive") メンチを切る メンチをきる menchi o kiru
Kateikei ("hypothetical") メンチを切れ メンチをきれ menchi o kire
Meireikei ("imperative") メンチを切れ メンチをきれ menchi o kire
Key constructions
Passive メンチを切られる メンチをきられる menchi o kirareru
Causative メンチを切らせる
メンチを切らす 		メンチをきらせる
メンチをきらす 		menchi o kiraseru
menchi o kirasu
Potential メンチを切れる メンチをきれる menchi o kireru
Volitional メンチを切ろう メンチをきろう menchi o kirō
Negative メンチを切らない メンチをきらない menchi o kiranai
Negative continuative メンチを切らず メンチをきらず menchi o kirazu
Formal メンチを切ります メンチをきります menchi o kirimasu
Perfective メンチを切った メンチをきった menchi o kitta
Conjunctive メンチを切って メンチをきって menchi o kitte
Hypothetical conditional メンチを切れば メンチをきれば menchi o kireba

Synonyms[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Further reading[edit]

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