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切り口上 (きりこうじょう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

切きり口こう上じょう

き

り

こ

う

じょ

う

Meanings

1

noun

stiff formality; set terms; formal tone

Refers to a rigid, overly formal way of speaking, often used in set phrases or official contexts. Can imply a lack of warmth or naturalness.

彼かれはいつも切きり口こう上じょうで話はなすので、親したしみにくい。
He always speaks in a stiff, formal manner, so it's hard to get close to him.
会かい議ぎでは切きり口こう上

じょう

の

挨あい

拶さつ

が

交か

わさ

れ

た

。

At the meeting, formal greetings were exchanged in set terms.

Kanji

切cut, cutoff, be sharp
口mouth
上above, up

Similar words

堅かた苦くるしい
Describes a stiff, formal atmosphere or behavior, while 切り口上 specifically refers to a rigidly formal way of speaking.
形けい式しき張ばる
Means to be formal or stand on ceremony in general; 切り口上 focuses on the verbal expression itself.

Etymology

Compound of 切り (kiri, 'cutting' or 'decisive') and 口上 (kōjō, 'oral message' or 'statement'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it suggests a 'cut-and-dried' or 'precisely worded' oral statement, hence the sense of stiff formality.