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Word 1648 of 2920

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揚げ足を取る

あげあしをとる

to nitpick; to find fault

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. 人の揚げ足を取るな。

    ひとのあげあしをとるな。

    Don't nitpick others' words.

  2. 彼はいつも言い間違いの揚げ足を取る。

    かれはいつもいいまちがいのあげあしをとる。

    He always seizes on people's slips of the tongue.

  3. 揚げ足を取るような質問ばかりで、議論が進まない。

    あげあしをとるようなしつもんばかりで、ぎろんがすすまない。

    The questions are all fault-finding, so the discussion goes nowhere.

Common patterns

人の揚げ足を取る
to pick holes in what others say
言葉の揚げ足を取る
to seize on someone's wording
揚げ足取り
nitpicking (noun)

Memory tip

From wrestling: catching the leg an opponent has just raised. It is specifically about pouncing on a slip in someone's words, not general criticism, and is always disapproving.

Kanji in this word

Quick check

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What does 揚げ足を取る mean?