Australia and the World Past and Present

1 – 滅私奉公 – messhi houkou – selfless devotion

2 – 死屍累累 – shishi ruirui – heaps of corpses

3 – 縷縷綿綿 – ruru menmen – in tedious detail

4 – 無為無能 – mui munou – idle and incompetent

5 – 絶体絶命 – zettai zetsumei – a desperate situation

6 – 三面六臂 – sanmen roppi – competent in many fields

7 – 一擲千金 – itteki senkin – lavish spending

8 – 一気呵成 – ikki kasei – knocking something off without a break

9 – 一攫千金 – ikkaku senkin – making a fortune at a stroke

10 – 速戦即決 – sokkusen sokketsu – a blitzkrieg

11 – 落花狼藉 – rakka rouzeki – complete disorder

12 – 精励恪勤 – seirei kakkin – diligent

13 – 切磋琢磨 – sessa takuma – improving together

14 – 切歯扼腕 – sesshi yakuwan – to be indignant

15 – 大声疾呼- taisei shikko – a loud shout

16 – 櫛風沐雨 – shippuu mokuu – undergoing hardships

17 – 月下氷人 – gekka hyoujin – a matchmaker

18 – 六根清浄 – rokkon shoujyou – purifying the 6 roots of perfection

19 – 如是我聞 – nyoze gamon – ‘Thus have I heard’ – from Buddhist sutras

20 – 隔靴掻痒 – kakka souyou – scratching your boot to sooth your itch

21 – 孟母三遷 – moubo sansen – to create an ideal environment for a child

22 – 瓜田李下 – kaden rika – leave no room for suspicion

23 – 放蕩無頼 – houtou burai – ruining oneself by leading a fast life

24 – 堅忍不抜 – kennin fubatsu – persevere

25 – 隠忍自重 – innin jichou – putting up with something

26 – 随喜渇仰 – zuiki katsugou – worship with adoration

27 – 甲論乙駁 – kouron otsubaku – arguing back and forth

28 – 泡沫夢幻 – houmatsu mugen – transient

29 – 樽俎折衝 – sonso sesshou – diplomatic negotiations at the dinner table

30 – 朝朝暮暮 – chouchou bobo – every morning and evening

31 – 縦横無尽 – jyuuou mujin – freely in all directions

32 – 朝雲暮雨 – chouun bou – a sexual liaison

33 – 朝三暮四 – chousan boshi – being preoccupied with immediate (superficial) differences without realizing that there are no differences in substance

34 – 道聴塗説 – douchou tosetsu – simply repeating second-hand information

35 – 念仏三昧 – nenbutsu zanmai – praying to Amida Buddha

36 – 鶏鳴狗盗 – keimei kutou – someone who resorts to petty tricks

37 – 跳梁跋扈 – chouryou bakko – evildoers roaming at will

38 – 採長補短 – saichou hotan – compensating for your shortcomings by incorporating other people’s strong points

39 – 飛耳長目 – hiji choumoku – keen ears and sharp eyes (for collecting information)

40 – 理非曲直 – rihi kyokuchoku – sense of right and wrong

41 – 花鳥風月 – kachou fuugetsu – the beauty of nature

42 – 剛毅果断 = gouki kadan – resolute

43 – 自暴自棄 – jibou jiki – desperation

44 – 大逆無道 – taigyaku mudou – heinous

45 – 効果覿面 – kouka tekimen – immediately effective

46 – 狷介固陋 – kenkai korou – narrow-minded

47 – 夜郎自大 – yarou jidai – throwing one’s weight around without knowing one’s limitations

48 – 有耶無耶 – uya muya – ambiguous

49 – 誠心誠意 – seishin seii – with one’s whole heart

50 – 再三再四 – saisan saishi – repeatedly

51 – 門前雀羅 – monzen jyakura – a deserted-looking house

52 – 治乱興亡 – chiran koubou – a nation’s rise and fall

53 – 蛙鳴蝉噪 – amei sensou – fruitless argument

54 – 一衣帯水 – ichii taisui – separated by a thin strip of water

55 – 偕老同穴 – kairou douketsu – happy life partnership

56 – 冷汗三斗 – reikan santo – breaking into a cold sweat when one is embarrassed or scared

57 – 二者択一 – nisha takuitsu – to choose between two things

58 – 相思相愛 – soushi souai – deeply in love with one another

59 – 経世済民 – keisei saimin – governing a nation and providing people with relief

60 – 満身創痍 – manshin soui – cuts and bruises all over the body

61 – 延命息災 – enmei sokusai – a long life untouched by disaster

62 – 人海戦術 – jinkai senjyutsu – human wave tactics

63 – 冠婚葬祭 – kankon sousai – important milestones – coming-of-age, marriage, death, and venerating the ancestors

64 – 神算鬼謀 – shinsan kibou – ingenious plan

65 – 単刀直入 – tantou chokunyuu – straight to the point

66 – 旗幟鮮明 – kishi senmei – taking a firm stance, ‘unfurling one’s banner’

67 – 一諾千金 – ichidaku senkin – one’s promise is worth 1000 pieces of gold

68 – 四海兄弟 – shikai keitei – universal brotherhood

69 – 一言居士 – ichigen koji – a person who likes to put his or her 2 cents worth in

70 – 外題学問 – gedai gakumon – talk as if one knows the book, but only knows the title

71 – 乱臣賊子 – zanshin zokushi – rebellion against one’s lord or parents

72 – 草根木皮 – soukon bokuhi – herb roots and bark used in Chinese medicine

73 – 明眸皓歯 – meibou koushi – starry eyes and white teeth, a beautiful woman

74 – 千載一遇 – senzai ichiguu – once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

75 – 砲煙弾雨 – houen danu – thick battle

76 – 合縁奇縁 – aien kien – uncanny relationship formed by a quirk of fate

77 – 土崩瓦解 – dohou gakai – something going to pieces

78 – 鼓舞激励 – kobu gekirei – inspire and encourage

79 – 肉食妻帯 – nukujiki saitai – a Buddhist priest who eats meat and is married

80 – 漫言放語 – mangen hougo – careless remarks

81 – 苦心惨憺 – kushin santan – making strenuous efforts

82 – 和光同塵 – wakou doujin – mingling with the world and hiding one’s true talent or knowledge

83 – 四通八達 – shitsuu hatattsu – a traffic network extending in all directions

84 – 安寧秩序 – annei chitsujyo – law and order

85 – 官尊民卑 – kanson minpi – putting officials above the people

86 – 和魂漢才 – wakon kansai – Japanese spirit and Chinese learning

87 – 八面玲瓏 – hachmen reirou – clear and bright from any direction

88 – 永字八法 – eiji happou – the 8 basic brush strokes of Chinese characters

89 – 岡目八目 – okame hachimoku – a bystander’s view (is often better)

90 – 美酒佳肴 – bishu kakou – fine wine and prized delicacies

91 – 百発百中 – hyappatsu hyakuchuu – to always hit the bulls-eye

92 – 虚心坦懐 – kyoshin tankai – with no preconceived notions

93 – 古色蒼然 – koshoku souzen – with the patina of age

94 – 雲泥万里 – undei banri – being poles apart

95 – 形影一如 – keiei ichinyo – as close as a form and its shadow

96 – 油断大敵 – yudan taiteki – carelessness is the great enemy

97 – 適材適所 – tekizai tekisho – the right person in the right place

98 – 柳暗花明 – ryuuan kamei – beautiful scenery in spring, red-light district

99 – 悠悠自適 – yuuyuu jiteki – living quietly free from worldly cares

100 – 和気藹藹 – waki aiai – harmonious