205Japanese proverb ことわざ
蛙の面に水
かえるのつらにみずKaeru no tsura ni mizu
“Water on a frog's face.”
The meaning
Some attacks slide off without a trace, like water on a frog. Cultivating that detachment for unimportant jabs saves precious energy.
At the origin
A vivid proverb about imperturbability — used in praise as in reproach.
The characters
- 蛙 kaerufrog
- の noof (link)
- 面
- に
- 水
のParticleLinks two words: possession or belonging, like “of”.
In practice
Pick one minor criticism you received recently, and let it slide for good.