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手練手管 (てれんてくだ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun
wiles ; art of coaxing ; trickery
yojijukugo (four-character idiom)
Refers to cunning or manipulative techniques used to deceive or persuade someone, often in a romantic or business context. A yojijukugo with a somewhat old-fashioned or literary feel.
No one is fooled anymore by that politician's trickery.
Kanji 管 pipe, tube, wind instrument Similar words 策さく 略りゃく 策略 is a more general and neutral term for strategy or scheme, while 手練手管 specifically implies cunning, manipulative, or deceptive tactics.
駆か け 引ひ き 駆け引き refers to bargaining or tactical maneuvering in negotiations, often with a connotation of give-and-take, whereas 手練手管 emphasizes sly, underhanded methods.
Etymology A yojijukugo combining 手練 (skill, trick) and 手管 (wiles, trick). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it likely emerged from the repetition of similar meanings for emphasis.
