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とばっちりを食う (とばっちりをくう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, godan verb (-u)
get caught in the crossfire ; be dragged into trouble ; suffer collateral damage
Used when someone becomes involved in trouble or suffers negative consequences through no fault of their own, often because of someone else's actions or a random event.
けん
嘩か
の
とばっちり
を
食く
っ
て
、
窓まど
ガラス
を
割わ
ら
れ
た
。
I got caught up in the neighbors' fight and had my window broken.
Similar words 巻ま き 込こ まれる 巻き込まれる is a more general term for being involved or embroiled in something, while とばっちりを食う specifically emphasizes suffering unintended negative consequences or collateral damage.
とばっちり とばっちり is the noun meaning 'collateral damage' or 'splash damage'; とばっちりを食う is the verb phrase meaning 'to suffer that collateral damage'.
Etymology The word とばっちり is thought to derive from 飛び散り (とびちり), meaning 'splashing' or 'scattering', with a sound change. The phrase とばっちりを食う literally means 'to eat the splash', metaphorically expressing being hit by unintended consequences.
