戸棚に骸骨 / で使う / という / たまらない

[eeky]

Hi

1. どこの家庭にも戸棚に骸骨がある。

Translation given: "Every family has a skeleton in the cupboard."

Is 戸棚に骸骨 a genuine Japanese expression, or is just a literal translation of the English? I was interested because it seems an amazing coincidence if both languages have developed the expression independently...


2. A sentence has been given that uses the expression ～てたまらなくなる. Then there is this note:

「・・・てたまらない」の形で使うが、「・・・と」に つづくときは「・・・くなる」となる。

I believe this is basically saying that ～てたまらない changes to ～てたまらなくなる when it follows a "と" clause. However, I don't understand で使う. What is the meaning of で? Who/what is the subject and object of 使う?


3. 「･･･を見ると」という条件

The texbook translates this as "...と phrases such as 見ると".

a) Presumably the translation of という as "such as" is correct?

b) Does 条件 mean "conditional expression"; i.e. "conditional" because it ends in と?


4. This textbook consistently translates ～てたまらない as "filled with...". E.g. うらやましくてたまりません is translated as "filled with envy". I thought it meant "can't help feeling envious". Which translation is better?

 

[Mike Cash]

4. I'd use something more like "so xxx I can't stand it".

 

[Toritoribe]

1)
It's the latter, just a literal translation of the English. There is no such expression in Japanese.

2)
で is more likely adverbial here.

の形で使う: to use in the form of~.

The subject is "we/you", thus, the subjects of the first and last half are different.

3)
It seems like so, but the meaning of 条件 would change depending on the context, I think.

 

[eeky]

Thank you both. Actually, now you mention it, I think I have learned that "can't stand it" expression before, but obviously forgotten...

In #3, could ～という条件 alternatively mean just the actual expression mentioned (in this case 「･･･を見ると), or does it always have a flavour of "such as"?

 

[Toritoribe]

The former. ～というような is usually used for the latter.

 

[eeky]

Oh good, because that's what I thought until I read the translation!