とどのつまり

Japanese
Alternative spellings
とどの詰まり
鯔の詰まり

Etymology

Of とど (todo, “full-grown grey mullet”) + の (no, genitive marker) + 詰(つ)まり (tsumari, “conclusion”), the 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 詰まる. There are several words for 鯔 (“grey mullet”) of different sizes, with とど naming the largest specimens.[1] The phrase is attested from at least the 18th century.[2]

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [to̞do̞ no̞ t͡sɨᵝma̠ɾʲi]

Adverb

とどのつまり • (todo no tsumari) 

  1. in the end, ultimately, when all is said and done
    • 2004, Jō Shun'ichirō, Kijin no ken [Sword of a fierce god], page 24:
      とどのつまり銀(ぎん)四(し)郎(ろう)は、用(よう)心(じん)棒(ぼう)稼(か)業(ぎょう)からは今(こん)後(ご)一(いっ)切(さい)手(て)を引(ひ)くと、師(し)の前(まえ)で誓(ちか)わされる羽(は)目(め)になったのである。
      Todo no tsumari Ginshirō wa, yōjinbō kagyō kara wa kongo issai te o hiku to, shi no mae de chikawasareru hame ni natta no de aru.
      In the end, Ginshirō wound up having to vow before his teacher to completely withdraw from work as a bodyguard.

References
  1. “とどのつまり”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
  2. “とどのつまり”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000
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