Essential Phrases and Body Language #10

Gesture #10: Culturally Flipping The Bird

Actual Gesture: Using the pointer finger, pulling down the lower eyelid and sticking out your tongue

It's Function?: Like flipping the bird, it's meant to show the ultimate, most childish disrespect towards its recipient

Any Associated Phrase?: With this one, the phrase is 「あかんべー！(Get bent!)」, which comes from 赤《あか》の目《め》(Red of the Eye, which is what you're displaying in the gesture), and can be said in two parts, あかん, as you're bringing the finger to the eyelid, and べー！ as you're pulling it down.

Anything else?: As the most disrespectful-and highly childish gesture, this won't produce anything good if you do it in front of the person, so most people want 'til their back is turned to show their disdain, possibly in the more emphatic form of あっかんべー! Sticking out the tongue, by itself, is a more feminine gesture used to show that they made a slight slip up in something, much like when someone says '”Whoops!” after drop their wallet when they pay for something.

Phrase #10: 只《ただ》今《いま》

Literal Meaning: Just now

Intent: "I'm home!(and similar meanings in translation)"

Usage: To let someone know you've come back to some place, home or otherwise, much like the phrase "I'm back!"

Notes: 只今帰《かえ》りました is the full, formal version of the phrase, both recognized by the other person/people there with the phrase 「お帰りなさい」, 「お帰り」 being the informal version of that.

Example: 只今帰りました

(I've come back home, ma'am)

お帰りなさい、お客《きゃく》さん。（笑）　まったく、アントニ、タメ語《ご》でもいいね。仲間《なかま》なんでいいじゃないじゃない？ ユックリしてね！

(Welcome back home, valued customer. *laughs* Honestly, Anthony, it's okay to talk casual. We are pal-y-pals, so it's all good, ain't it? EASE it up, there.)  

And now that we're through the 10, it's time to move to the next phase: learning how to plan a trip to Japan and what to do once you get there!