New Japanese Words added to the OED

[Gyakuto]

Katsu – a piece of meat, seafood, or vegetable, coated with flour, egg, and panko breadcrumbs, deep-fried, and cut into strips – is considered a boomerang word, a case of reborrowing: katsu is the shortened form of katsuretsu, which is a borrowing into Japanese of the English word “cutlet”.

Donburi - a Japanese dish consisting of rice topped with other ingredients, is also used to describe the bowl in which this dish is served.

Omotenashi - which describes good hospitality, characterised by “thoughtfulness, close attention to detail, and the anticipation of a guest’s needs”.

Kintsugi - the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by joining pieces back together and filling cracks with lacquer dusted with powdered gold, silver, or platinum, highlighting the flaws in the mended object

Isekai - a Japanese genre of fantasy fiction involving a character being transported to or reincarnated in a different, strange, or unfamiliar world.

 

[isshinryuronin]

Some great words. BTW, what is the "OED"?

Katsu – a piece of meat, seafood, or vegetable, coated with flour, egg, and panko breadcrumbs, deep-fried, and cut into strips – is considered a boomerang word, a case of reborrowing: katsu is the shortened form of katsuretsu, which is a borrowing into Japanese of the English word “cutlet”.
Donburi - a Japanese dish consisting of rice topped with other ingredients, is also used to describe the bowl in which this dish is served.

Just a couple of days ago my daughter had pork katsu for dinner; I had charcoal grilled unagi and nori donburi at a local izakaya.

. Omotenashi - which describes good hospitality, characterised by “thoughtfulness, close attention to detail, and the anticipation of a guest’s needs”.

A lost art in the modern West.

Kintsugi - the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by joining pieces back together and filling cracks with lacquer dusted with powdered gold, silver, or platinum, highlighting the flaws in the mended object

An interesting concept, counter-intuitive in most cultures. Accepting, even celebrating imperfect reality rather than the illusion of what we wish it would be?

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Katsu – a piece of meat, seafood, or vegetable, coated with flour, egg, and panko breadcrumbs, deep-fried, and cut into strips – is considered a boomerang word, a case of reborrowing: katsu is the shortened form of katsuretsu, which is a borrowing into Japanese of the English word “cutlet”.

Donburi - a Japanese dish consisting of rice topped with other ingredients, is also used to describe the bowl in which this dish is served.

Omotenashi - which describes good hospitality, characterised by “thoughtfulness, close attention to detail, and the anticipation of a guest’s needs”.

Kintsugi - the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by joining pieces back together and filling cracks with lacquer dusted with powdered gold, silver, or platinum, highlighting the flaws in the mended object

Isekai - a Japanese genre of fantasy fiction involving a character being transported to or reincarnated in a different, strange, or unfamiliar world.

Interesting, thanks! I was familiar with Kintsugi but not the others. I know the word 'omote' as a type of bunkai, but not 'Omotenashi'.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

An interesting concept, counter-intuitive in most cultures. Accepting, even celebrating imperfect reality rather than the illusion of what we wish it would be?

I had heard of it in reference to the concept of 'wabi-sabi' or what I've been told is the perfection of imperfection (and I've been told it's not that at all, so eh...).

I have even read of things being broken intentionally so that they can be repaired with this method.

There is so much about Japanese culture I do not understand. I try, but it's not easy.

 

[Gyakuto]

Some great words. BTW, what is the "OED"?

Oxford English Dictionary.

A lost art in the modern West.

Crikey, the US is much better than the U.K. with regards customer service. British service providers do not give a sh*t!

An interesting concept, counter-intuitive in most cultures. Accepting, even celebrating imperfect reality rather than the illusion of what we wish it would be?

What about Western antiques where patina and a battered appearance are preferred. They even make new guitars that are ‘antiqued’ and at great expense!

 

[Gyakuto]

Interesting, thanks! I was familiar with Kintsugi but not the others. I know the word 'omote' as a type of bunkai, but not 'Omotenashi'.

Omote means ‘public face’ or ‘outwardly viewed’. The right hand side of the sword as it’s held in the hands is the ‘omote’ because when it’s worn on the hip, it’s the side facing the rest of the world.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Crikey, the US is much better than the U.K. with regards customer service. British service providers do not give a sh*t!

And you think American providers do? 🤣

 

[Gyakuto]

And you think American providers do? 🤣

Oh that’s surprising. I’ve heard that service in the USA is excellent as long as you give a substantial gratuity.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Oh that’s surprising. I’ve heard that service in the USA is excellent as long as you give a substantial gratuity.

Gratuities are typically given AFTER service is provided. And more and more, they're expected, rather than given as a result of exceptional service.

 

[Gyakuto]

Gratuities are typically given AFTER service is provided. And more and more, they're expected, rather than given as a result of exceptional service.

What would happen if you were to leave a tiny or no tip to your restaurant serve after ‘average’ service?

 

[Dirty Dog]

What would happen if you were to leave a tiny or no tip to your restaurant serve after ‘average’ service?

In most cases nothing, because you've already left.
However, if you're including the tip as part of a credit/debit card transaction... Servers have posted photos in an attempt to shame the customer. There have also been cases where they've overcharged the card. Delivery people for things like DoorDash have refused to pick up orders that didn't include what they consider a sufficient tip.

 

[Steve]

You sound like a bunch of crotchety Boomers. LOL. “Back in my day, customer service was a way of life!”

 

[Gyakuto]

In most cases nothing, because you've already left.

And you wouldn’t be returning, even 9f the food was good.

However, if you're including the tip as part of a credit/debit card transaction... Servers have posted photos in an attempt to shame the customer.

Oh that’s low…

There have also been cases where they've overcharged the card.

…and that’s illegal!

Delivery people for things like DoorDash have refused to pick up orders that didn't include what they consider a sufficient tip.

I’ve never heard of delivery people being tipped in the U.K.

There’s no tipping in Japan…at all!

 

[Dirty Dog]

You sound like a bunch of crotchety Boomers. LOL. “Back in my day, customer service was a way of life!”

I don't think anyone has said anything like that. But confusion does tend to be more common amoung the elderly.

 

[gyoja]

And you think American providers do? 🤣

They are great down here. I get called Honey and Sugar all the time!

 

[Gyakuto]

They are great down here. I get called Honey and Sugar all the time!

Rather insulting if one has diabetes 😑

 

[_Simon_]

Katsu.... is....... wonderful!!!

 

[Steve]

Oxford English Dictionary.

Crikey, the US is much better than the U.K. with regards customer service. British service providers do not give a sh*t!

What about Western antiques where patina and a battered appearance are preferred. They even make new guitars that are ‘antiqued’ and at great expense!
View attachment 30849View attachment 30850

My dad was a luthier for about 50 years, restoring and repairing pretty much any kind of stringed instrument. But his favorites were pre-ww2 tenor and plectrum banjos. Any restoration he did was as light as possible to preserve the life of the instrument. The goal was never to make them look like new. Leaving the scars is important.

I think the idea of preserving the life of the antique is fairly universal. The specific technique of restoring ceramics using gold, et, is uniquely Japanese. And very beautiful.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

What would happen if you were to leave a tiny or no tip to your restaurant serve after ‘average’ service?

My wife and I were chased down in the parking lot as we were leaving by a server who was unimpressed with a 20% gratuity. She asked if we really meant to leave so little. We've always given 20% and didn't think it was considered insufficient these days. When the total is small, we often give a higher percentage but never less than 20%.

 

[gyoja]

My wife and I were chased down in the parking lot as we were leaving by a server who was unimpressed with a 20% gratuity. She asked if we really meant to leave so little. We've always given 20% and didn't think it was considered insufficient these days. When the total is small, we often give a higher percentage but never less than 20%.

That’s insane! How could they expect more than 20%? Makes me wonder about people….