Translation guide
Describes hair, fur, or fabric that is long, thick, and untidy. Also used for stories or jokes that are long-winded and rambling.
Describe a person's hair, an animal's coat, or a fabric that is long, thick, and messy.
An onomatopoeic word describing hair or fur that is thick, tangled, and messy. Often used for unkempt hair or shaggy dogs.
彼は髪がもじゃもじゃだ。
He has shaggy hair.
もじゃもじゃの犬が好きです。
I like shaggy dogs.
Describes hair that is dry, uncombed, and sticking out in all directions. Often used for bedhead or neglected hair.
朝起きたら髪がぼさぼさだった。
When I woke up, my hair was shaggy.
Literally 'deep-haired', meaning hairy or shaggy. More often used for body hair or animals with thick fur, but can describe shaggy coats.
その犬は毛深い。
That dog is shaggy.
Describe a rug, carpet, or fabric that has long, thick, and untidy fibers.
Means 'long-piled', used for carpets, rugs, or fabrics with long fibers. Often implies a shaggy texture.
毛足の長い絨毯が欲しい。
I want a shaggy carpet.
Loanword from English 'shaggy', used specifically for shag carpets or shaggy fabrics in interior design.
シャギーラグを買った。
I bought a shaggy rug.
Describe a narrative that is overly long, disorganized, and often with a weak punchline.
Means 'long-winded' or 'dragging on'. Used for stories, speeches, or jokes that lack conciseness.
彼の話はいつもだらだらとしている。
His stories are always shaggy.
Means 'rambling' or 'incoherent'. Describes a story that jumps around without a clear point.
とりとめのない話でごめんね。
Sorry for the shaggy story.
When describing a 'shaggy dog story', do not translate literally as 'もじゃもじゃの犬の話'. Instead, use だらだらとした話 or とりとめのない話. The English idiom refers to a long, rambling joke, not an actual dog.
それは典型的なだらだらとしたジョークだった。
That was a classic shaggy dog story.