猫に小判

Japanese
Kanji in this term
猫 小 判
ねこ
Grade: S		 こ
Grade: 1		 ばん
Grade: 5
kun’yomi on’yomi

Etymology

Phrase composed of 猫 (neko, “cat, cats”) + に (ni, “to”, directional particle) + 小判 (koban, a kind of traditional gold coin).[1][2][3] Literally, “gold coins to cats”.

First cited to a text from 1687.[1]

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [ne̞ko̞ ɲ̟i ko̞bã̠ɴ]

Idiom

猫(ねこ)に小(こ)判(ばん) • (neko ni koban) 

  1. to give something valuable to someone who does not understand that value: to cast pearls before swine [1687]
    Synonyms: 豚に真珠 (buta ni shinju), 犬に論語 (inu ni Rongo), 馬耳東風 (baji tōfū), 馬の耳に念仏 (uma no mimi ni nenbutsu)

References
  1. Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
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