#11 Let’s Go on a Hunt for Japanglish! Part2

Continuing from last time, here are 5 more Japanglish Words!
If you missed the last batch or want to check it out again, you can find the link below.

6 スルー (Through)

　If you saw this word by itself, would you know what it means?  In Japanese, “スルーする(suruu suru)” is a common phrase that means to ignore or tune out something. The word "スルー(through)" is often combined with the verb “する(to do)”, forming “スルーする”. It’s a bit different from its English counterpart, which makes it quite interesting!

　There’s also the phrase “let it go in one ear and out the other,” where the idea of something passing straight through your head without sticking is very much like how Japanese people say "右から左に聞き流す(to let something go from the right ear out the left)" . The concept is quite similar in both languages.

　Speaking of "through," Japan’s love for football has also popularised the term “through pass”. This is a brilliant move where the ball is passed into space for a teammate to run onto, allowing them to bypass defenders with perfect timing and communication. The simplicity of the word "through," along with the image it conveys, made it easy for this English term to blend into Japanese and become part of Japanglish.

　Another modern phrase on "スルー" is the phrase “既読スルー(kidoku suru)”. “既読” refers to a message that has been marked as read in a messaging app. Combine it with "スルー" and you get “read and ignored” – when someone reads your message but doesn’t bother replying. This happens all the time, right?
For example, "Aさんに 既読スルー されています。(Mr.A has left me on read)" You’ve probably experienced this yourself. Hopefully not too often! haha

7 キーホルダー (Key Holder)

　It doesn’t refer to someone who manages keys! 😆
In English, we call this a keychain. Originally, in both languages, it referred to small decorative items or accessories attached to keys to prevent them from being lost. However, these days, keychains have evolved beyond just practical use – they’ve become fashionable items you can attach to bags, pencil cases, or pretty much anything. Even in English, the meaning of the word has drifted away from its original purpose.

　For Japanese speakers, the word "チェーン(chain)" often conjures up images of a heavy, industrial chain⛓️, which doesn’t quite match the idea of a cute character keychain. That could be why the word “key holder” was adopted instead.

8 トランプ (Trump)

　It is "Playing cards" in English. There's an interesting theory behind why Japanese people use the word "trump" to refer to playing cards. Let me share it with you!

　The story takes us back to the Meiji era in the 19th century, a time when Japan was transitioning from the Edo period, the age of the samurai, and rapidly modernising. Western culture, systems, and language were flooding into Japan, and along with them, Western-style playing cards became popular.

　Now here’s the charming part: when Japanese people overheard Westerners playing card games and saying the word “trump” (meaning a trump card), they assumed that "trump" referred to the cards themselves, rather than just the winning card. And so, the word "trump" became synonymous with playing cards in Japan. 😁

　It’s an amusing and somewhat adorable story, really! If you imagine people at the time, with little knowledge of English, it's easy to see why this misunderstanding happened. And thus, "trump" became the term for a deck of cards in Japan!

9 バイキング (Viking)

　This is definitely one of those terms that won’t make sense to anyone outside Japan! In English, we’d call it a buffet or an all-you-can-eat restaurant. Let’s take a look at the interesting history behind this word, バイキング.

　The term “バイキング (Viking)” as used in Japan to refer to buffet-style dining doesn’t actually have any direct connection to the historical Norse pirates. The origin of this usage dates back to the 1960s, when a Japanese hotel first introduced this dining style.

　The trend began when Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel opened a restaurant in 1960 called the Viking Restaurant. Inspired by Sweden’s famous buffet-style meal, known as a smorgasbord, the hotel staff wanted to introduce a similar concept in Japan. At the time, a film about Norse warriors titled The Vikings was a big hit in Japan, so they borrowed the name from the movie for their new restaurant concept.

　As a result, the word “Viking” came to mean an all-you-can-eat buffet in Japanese, and it quickly became part of everyday language.

　This is a great example of how, when a new concept arrives in Japan, sometimes the name of a restaurant or product becomes the general term, rather than the original name itself. It’s a fascinating quirk of language!

Summary

　Looking at examples like these, you can start to see how new words are created in Japanese. Whether it’s the Japanese perception of English, a simple misunderstanding, or a memorable event, the process behind the creation of these words becomes clear. Doesn’t it make learning Japanese even more intriguing when you realise that each word carries its own unique history and origin?

　I’ll keep sharing more fascinating topics like this in the future, so stay tuned! Thank you for reading!