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トドになる

4 Apr 2014
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Literally "to become a sea lion". I've seen this idiom a couple of times already. Both times it was used in relation to staying at a hotel/ryokan. Although second time it felt like it had some nuance of lying flat on the bed (futon to be precise) feeling exhausted.

So i wonder if someone can elaborate on this phrase.
 
A quick google search result says that it's an advertising slogan of a ryokan.
お料理 |夕日ヶ浦温泉 旅館 海舟|豪華カニ料理で人気の宿【公式HP】

According to their site, it's a phrase a guest left previously; "The dishes were plenty and delicious, so I would become a sea lion (probably the nuance is "I'm satisfied and don't want to move" or like that) after just one night stay." It's words of praise, of course. Another usage would also be talking about "unmovable" characteristics of sea lion.
 
Thanks for hinting me at that information, Toritoribe.
Well, either the slogan has been around for awhile, or some people just like to use this metaphor of "sea lion = unmovable". The second time i saw the pharse, was in a 1997 video game, as 「おい、トドになるな!」 addressed to an exhausted traveler.
 
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