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きちがい水 (きちがいみず) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun
alcohol ; sake ; demon drink
colloquial
Colloquial, somewhat dated slang for alcoholic beverages, often with a negative or humorous connotation implying that drinking makes one crazy. The term きちがい itself is now considered offensive, so this compound is rarely used in polite conversation.
きちがい 水みず に 手て を 出だ す と ろくな こと に なら ない 。
Nothing good comes from messing with the booze.
Written forms きちがい 水みず
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; the most common written form for this colloquial term.
気き 違ちが い 水みず
Full kanji spelling; less common but still encountered.
Similar words 酒さけ Standard, neutral term for alcohol/sake. きちがい水 is a slangy, pejorative alternative.
アルコール Neutral loanword for alcohol. きちがい水 carries a much stronger negative and colloquial tone.
Etymology Compound of きちがい (crazy, insane) and 水 (water), literally 'crazy water'. The term reflects the idea that alcohol makes people act irrationally. The exact origin is uncertain, but it likely arose as slang in the mid-20th century.
