木で鼻を括る

• Reading: きではなをくくる
• Romaji: ki de hana wo kukuru
• Kanji breakdown: 木 (ki/moku) — wood, tree; 鼻 (hana/bi) — nose; 括 (katsu/kuku) — to fasten, tie, wipe
• Pronunciation: /ki.de.ha.na.o.kɯ.kɯ.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To respond in a blunt, curt, or coldly dismissive manner. Describes someone who treats a genuine request or approach with indifferent contempt.

An idiomatic expression describing a person who responds to others in an offhand, dry, or dismissive way — as if wiping a nose with a rough stick instead of soft cloth. Used to criticise someone who is unhelpfully cold or unaccommodating when consideration is expected. Appears in literary prose and formal speech rather than casual everyday use.

Examples

1. せっかく相談したのに、木で鼻を括ったような返事しか返ってこなかった。 I had gone out of my way to ask for advice, but all I got back was a cold, dismissive reply.
2. 上司は木で鼻を括る態度で、部下の提案をすべて却下した。 The manager rebuffed every proposal from his staff with an offhand, indifferent attitude.
3. 木で鼻を括ったような接客では、客が離れていくのも当然だ。 It's no wonder customers walk away when they're met with such a cold and dismissive service.

Usage Guide

Context: communication, criticism, manner

Tone: critical

Origin & History

A classical Japanese idiom from the Edo period. Using a rough stick (木) to wipe one's nose (鼻) instead of a soft cloth represents the most dismissive, contemptuous response. The image conveys cold indifference through deliberately inadequate means.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal