月と鼈
Japanese
Kanji in this term | |
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月 | 鼈 |
つき Grade: 1 | すっぽん Hyōgaiji |
kun’yomi |
Alternative spellings |
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月とすっぽん 月に鼈 月にすっぽん |
Etymology
Phrase consisting of 月 (tsuki, “moon”) + と (to, “and”, conjunctive particle) + 鼈 (suppon, “Chinese soft-shell turtle”), expressing the sense “(the difference between) the moon and a turtle”.[1][2][3]
Perhaps simultaneously evoking their similar shape but different locations (the sky vs. the ground), in the same manner as 雲泥の差 (undei no sa, literally “difference between the clouds and mud”).
First attested in 1734.[1]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [t͡sɨᵝkʲi to̞ sɨ̥ᵝp̚põ̞ɴ]
Noun
月と鼈 • (tsuki to suppon)
- [from 1734] (idiomatic) night and day, completely different
- Synonyms: 雲泥の差 (undei no sa), 雲泥万里 (undei manri), 提灯に釣り鐘 (chōchin ni tsurigane)
Usage notes
Also encountered using the particle に (ni) instead of と (to).
References
- “月と鼈”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”) (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN
- “月と鼈”, in デジタル大辞泉 (Dejitaru Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
- 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN