知らないうちに口から出てしまう言い間違い。
指摘されればいいが、スルーされると恥ずかしさも倍増。
そんな恐ろしい言い間違いをご紹介。
Essay
2024.07.24
photo_Toshinori Okada
Text_Toshinori Okada
先日、ガルシア・マルケスの「百年の孤独」が文庫本になったという話をしているとき「あぁ、あのマルシア・ガルケスだね」と言ってしまった。誰も気づかなかったのか、その間違いはスルーされたが、なんか気恥ずかしかった。 こういった名前の言い間違いはよくある。例えばスピーディー・ダンワー、あるいはジャイケル・マクソン。ではこれはどうか、ジャントニオ・イノバ。 ジャイアント馬場とアントニオ猪木がひとつになってしまっている。この言葉をいちどでも口にしてしまうと、何かの折に「ああ、あのジャントニオ・イノバだね」とスルッと言ってしまいそうで怖い。他にも、これまで恐ろしい言い間違いを聞いてきた。それをいくつか紹介しよう。
『赤子の首をひねるようなもの』。いきなりである。手ではなく、首だ。いまの時代、手をひねるだけでも虐待と騒がれそうなのに、赤ん坊の首を一気にひねるのはだめだ。 この言葉は「ああ、そんなの簡単、赤子の首をひねるようなものや」という感じで使われていた。
『イタチの恩返し』。 イタチではなく鶴だし、もしイタチを使うなら「イタチごっこ」だろう。この言葉がでたいきさつはこうだ。
そのとき、いくら駐禁を取り締まっても、車を移動させてはまた戻ってくる奴がいるという話題になった。 そして友人から出た言葉が「そりゃ、イタチの恩返しやな」。 なにか違和感がある。イタチ、か?イタチがせっせと機織りをしてたんだっけか?そして家の人に見つかって、空に飛んで行く、のか。違う、イタチは飛ばない!しかもこの局面では「イタチごっこ」と言うべきだ。 でも、恩返しをするイタチは、なんか可愛くって好きだけど。
『お魚くわえて町まで、で〜か〜けた〜ら〜♪』。ある日、サザエさんの歌をうたっていて、はたと気づいた。これは違うぞ。いくらサザエさんがあわてん坊だからといって、魚をくわえて町を歩きはしないだろう、と。よくやって、買い物しようと出かけて財布を忘れるぐらいだろう。あ、そうか!歌詞を間違えていたのか!!これはおわかりのように、サザエさんの歌の一番と二番が混ぜ合わさったのである。かように言い間違えは、恥ずかしく、恐ろしい。
Slip-ups: fine if corrected, doubly embarrassing if not.
Here are some shocking ones.
The other day, while discussing the paperback release of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, I mistakenly said, "Oh, that Marcia Garques, right?" No one corrected me, which left me slightly embarrassed. Such name slip-ups are common, like "Speedy Danwer" (Stevie Wonder) or "Jaikel Maxon" (Michael Jackson). How about "Jantonio Inoba"? It mixes up Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki. I'm worried that once I commit this slip-up, I'll be condemned to repeat it.I've heard many other frightful slip-ups. Here are a few:
"Like twisting a baby's neck." They meant "arm," not "neck." Even twisting an arm is considered abusive today, but twisting a baby’s neck is unthinkable. It was used like, "Oh, that's easy, like twisting a baby's neck."
"The weasel’s repayment." This should be "crane," not "weasel." If using "weasel," the term would be "itachi gokko" (play weasel). Here's how this one came about.The topic was how, despite parking regulations, some people move their cars only to return later. A friend commented, "That's the weasel’s repayment." Something felt off. A weasel?! Do weasels weave diligently and then fly away when found? No, weasels don’t fly! The term should have been "play weasel." Still, the idea of a weasel repaying a favor is kind of cute.
"Went out to town with a fish in my mouth, la-la-la-la ♪." One day, while singing the Sazae-san song, I realized something was wrong. No matter how scatterbrained Sazae-san might be, she wouldn’t walk around town with a fish in her mouth. At most, she might forget her wallet while out shopping. Ah, I got the lyrics mixed up! I had combined the first and second verses of the Sazae-san song.
Such slip-ups can be embarrassing and shocking.
Slip-ups: fine if corrected, doubly embarrassing if not.
Here are some shocking ones.
The other day, while discussing the paperback release of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, I mistakenly said, "Oh, that Marcia Garques, right?" No one corrected me, which left me slightly embarrassed. Such name slip-ups are common, like "Speedy Danwer" (Stevie Wonder) or "Jaikel Maxon" (Michael Jackson). How about "Jantonio Inoba"? It mixes up Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki. I'm worried that once I commit this slip-up, I'll be condemned to repeat it.I've heard many other frightful slip-ups. Here are a few:
"Like twisting a baby's neck." They meant "arm," not "neck." Even twisting an arm is considered abusive today, but twisting a baby’s neck is unthinkable. It was used like, "Oh, that's easy, like twisting a baby's neck."
"The weasel’s repayment." This should be "crane," not "weasel." If using "weasel," the term would be "itachi gokko" (play weasel). Here's how this one came about.The topic was how, despite parking regulations, some people move their cars only to return later. A friend commented, "That's the weasel’s repayment." Something felt off. A weasel?! Do weasels weave diligently and then fly away when found? No, weasels don’t fly! The term should have been "play weasel." Still, the idea of a weasel repaying a favor is kind of cute.
"Went out to town with a fish in my mouth, la-la-la-la ♪." One day, while singing the Sazae-san song, I realized something was wrong. No matter how scatterbrained Sazae-san might be, she wouldn’t walk around town with a fish in her mouth. At most, she might forget her wallet while out shopping. Ah, I got the lyrics mixed up! I had combined the first and second verses of the Sazae-san song.
Such slip-ups can be embarrassing and shocking.
a.パリの街角で見つけた言い間違え、というか綴りの間違え。chibuyaもfukoakaも、なんか違う。
b.こちらもパリ。アジア料理の店だけど、日本語の店名の並びがなぁ。
c.何も間違ってはいないけど、風景のコントラストに違和感が。
d.何年か前のプラハで。大人が集まって、真面目に頭に板を乗せて。これもなんか間違ってないかなぁ。