Questions about Vocabulary from dorama

[nhk9]

Hi guys hope everyone is enjoying the coming of summer.

I was watching a couple of dramas the other day, and came across these words. Anyway, I hope the nice people here can help me a bit. Thanks in advance!

a. おんぞうし can mean "名門の子弟", but what does "おんぞうしくら" mean? If there's such a word... or maybe was that just "おんぞうしくらい"? I am not sure I heard the "i" sound though. The sentence from the drama is like "おんぞうしくら(い）紹介してもらえないか"

b. Also, Japanese native high-school/middle school students wouldn't learn words like おんぞうし in class right? I suppose they would learn these via external sources?

c. 揉め事 can mean "争い", but is this a popular usage? I haven't seen this many times before, but certainly I have seen "争い" many times though

d. Is わざとらしい a more colloquial version of the more common 不自然（な）？

e. Is かどわかす a more informal way of saying "誘拐する"？ I hear the latter much more often though, especially in newspapers.

f. Is はめごろし considered to be an obscure word? (from はめごろし窓） It seems like it's one of those words that you never would know unless you really looked for it (or somehow came across it), if you are a foreigner.

 

[undrentide]

Hi nhk9 san!

a. おんぞうし can mean "名門の子弟", but what does "おんぞうしくら" mean? If there's such a word... or maybe was that just "おんぞうしくらい"? I am not sure I heard the "i" sound though. The sentence from the drama is like "おんぞうしくら(い）紹介してもらえないか"

御曹司（おんぞうし） is usually means a son from a family of well-to-do.
A daughter of the same position is called 令嬢（れいじょう）.

おんぞうしくらい＝おんぞうし＋くらい
くらい means degree/standard of things. It often used to suggest that something is not a big deal.
In the sentence you quoted, the speaker is saying
"You can introduce a son of a well-to-do family to me (which is not a big deal for you!)"
Similar usage:
転んだくらいで泣くな。
買い物くらい私だってできるよ。

b. Also, Japanese native high-school/middle school students wouldn't learn words like おんぞうし in class right? I suppose they would learn these via external sources?

You are right. Words such as 御曹司 is not a necessity of everyday life, though one can learn it from books and so on without being taught at school.

c. 揉め事 can mean "争い", but is this a popular usage? I haven't seen this many times before, but certainly I have seen "争い" many times though

揉め事 or its verb 揉める are often used.
It is similar in meaning to 争い but sounds smaller in scale and less serious.
(Though this is my personal feeling.)
It refers to the conflict/fuss/problem/difficulties between/among people.

d. Is わざとらしい a more colloquial version of the more common 不自然（な）？

I'm not sure which is more common but something わざとらしい is not something that just happened by accident but something someone did on purpose pretending it is accidental.

e. Is かどわかす a more informal way of saying "誘拐する"？ I hear the latter much more often though, especially in newspapers.

かどわかす is rather an old word for 誘拐する.
It is used mainly in writing, it sounds old-fashioned compared with 誘拐する.

f. Is はめごろし considered to be an obscure word? (from はめごろし窓） It seems like it's one of those words that you never would know unless you really looked for it (or somehow came across it), if you are a foreigner.

嵌め殺し（はめごろし） is a fixed expression for window. The glass is fixed on the frame so you can see through it but you cannot open it.
Like the window on the plane.
エールコーポレーション株式会社

 

[Damicci]

Just a note undrendtide. We normally say the family is "well off" or "wealthy"

You may hear wealthy more often I think.

"He/She is the son/daughter of a wealthy family."
"His/Her family is well off"

 

[undrentide]

Just a note undrendtide. We normally say the family is "well off" or "wealthy"

You may hear wealthy more often I think.

"He/She is the son/daughter of a wealthy family."
"His/Her family is well off"

Thank you Damicci.

I'm wondering if the word well-to-do is no longer used, or it is my usage which is incorrect? To me it is not just being wealthy but with high social status.
I found this word several occasions when reading books (I don't remember which books) also I found it on the online dictionary, so I'm just wondering...

http://pewebdic2.cw.idm.fr/
well-to-do
1 rich and with a high social position: well-to-do families
2 the well-to-do people who are rich

 

[Damicci]

I don't think it is an issue with your useage but more of what sounds more natural. I am pretty sure you would hear wealthy more than well-to-do.

 

[undrentide]

Ah, I see.
Thank you again, Damicci!

 

[Supervin]

I'm wondering if the word well-to-do is no longer used, or it is my usage which is incorrect? To me it is not just being wealthy but with high social status.
I found this word several occasions when reading books

'Well-to-do' is perfectly okay and in use today. It simply means being wealthy, and is not related to social status.

Only a slight usage matter: 'well-to-do' is an adjective, so it should be 'a well-to-do family' (not 'a family of well-to-do').

Indeed, the expression is found more in writing.

 

[undrentide]

'Well-to-do' is perfectly okay and in use today. It simply means being wealthy, and is not related to social status.

Only a slight usage matter: 'well-to-do' is an adjective, so it should be 'a well-to-do family' (not 'a family of well-to-do').

Indeed, the expression is found more in writing.

Thank you Supervin, now it's clearer to me!
(So it has nothing to do with social status? Then I should not trust the definition Longman Online gives too much...?)

 

[nhk9]

Hi Undrentide-san, thank you very much for the elaborate explanation. I appreciate that.

Also, here in Canada you certainly hear "well off" very often. You just don't hear "well to do" that often and I think it's somewhat old fashioned. The word "affluent" is interchangeable with "well to do" and should be a more "kirei" way of saying the same thing.

On the other hand, I read this book about Japanese business practices and apparently the word "英語使い" is a rather derogatory term aimed at those Japanese who speak English (in Japan). But then the book was written a decade ago, so the info may not be too updated. What exactly is the attitude of most Japanese speakers regarding Japanese speakers speaking English?

 

[undrentide]

nhk9 san, thank you for the explanation on the words well off, well-to-do, and affluent. It is not something I can find in dictionaries, so it's a great help for me.

Regarding the word 英語使い, it is not a derogatory term by itself - some people who are scornful about the people who speak English (or more specifically, those who are show-off and too much proud of being able to speak the language) would use 英語使い with negative connotation.

Even though more and more people speak English these days, still being able to speak English (or other foreign languages) means something in Japan.
Generally, people are impressed with those who speak English and the attitude to them is positive.

I think that it is Japanese speakers fluent in English who may have negative attitude to the fellow English speakers as they (the former) regard English as "nothing but a communication tool" for their business or daily life. For them, 英語使い seems to be a term to call themselves in rather a humble way, not 英語ができるエリート with glory and proud but just a person who can speak the language.

 

[nhk9]

nhk9 san, thank you for the explanation on the words well off, well-to-do, and affluent. It is not something I can find in dictionaries, so it's a great help for me.

Regarding the word 英語使い, it is not a derogatory term by itself - some people who are scornful about the people who speak English (or more specifically, those who are show-off and too much proud of being able to speak the language) would use 英語使い with negative connotation.

Even though more and more people speak English these days, still being able to speak English (or other foreign languages) means something in Japan.
Generally, people are impressed with those who speak English and the attitude to them is positive.

I think that it is Japanese speakers fluent in English who may have negative attitude to the fellow English speakers as they (the former) regard English as "nothing but a communication tool" for their business or daily life. For them, 英語使い seems to be a term to call themselves in rather a humble way, not 英語ができるエリート with glory and proud but just a person who can speak the language.

Thanks for the detailed reply undrentide-san. I guess the book must be a bit out of date since it was published quite a few years ago. I guess attitudes toward English speaking must've changed due to globalization. These past few years there have been a huge influx of Japanese international students here in Canada. Just 10 years ago the only Japanese here were ni-sei nikkeijin.