[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards]
ごまめの歯ぎしり
“little fish grinding their teeth”
(of no consequence, powerless)
If sharks were to grind their teeth, it might be a big deal. Shock waves would radiate in all directions. But a bunch of little fish furiously grinding their teeth is of no consequence. Who would know? Who would care?
Sample text:
(Style: spoken/casual/male)
A: Konnendo no shinnyuu buin wa monku bakari itteru ne.
B: Ki ni shinai, ki ni shinai. Doose gomame no hagishiri na n da kara, ima made doori ni yatte ikeba ii sa.
A: 今年度の
B: 気にしない、気にしない。どうせごまめの歯ぎしりなんだから、今まで通りにやっていけばいいさ。
A: This year’s new club members do nothing but complain.
B: Don’t worry, don’t worry. What they say is of no consequence anyway. We’ll just carry on as we always have.
Japanese Idioms
