noun
grinding miso
Literal meaning: the act of grinding miso paste, traditionally done with a mortar and pestle.
祖母は毎朝、味噌擂りから一日を始めた。
My grandmother started her day every morning by grinding miso.
noun
Figurative use: excessive praise or a person who flatters, likened to the repetitive grinding motion. Often used in a critical or humorous way.
彼の味噌すりにはうんざりだ。
I'm fed up with his flattery.
あいつは上司に味噌すりばかりしている。
That guy is always buttering up the boss.
noun
Derogatory abbreviation of 味噌擂り坊主, a contemptuous term for a Buddhist monk, implying they are sycophantic or useless. Rare and dated.
See also: 味噌擂り坊主
「味噌擂り」は、昔、僧侶を嘲って呼んだ言葉だ。
'Miso-suri' was a term used in the past to mock monks.
Compound of 味噌 (miso) and 擂り (suri, nominalized form of 擂る 'to grind'). The figurative senses derive from the repetitive grinding motion associated with insincere flattery or obsequious behavior.