expression
it is shameful to reject a woman's advances; a man who spurns a woman's invitation is shameful
Proverb meaning that when a woman makes a clear romantic or sexual advance, it is a man's shame to refuse. The literal image is of a meal already set before someone.
See also: 据え膳 (すえぜん)
「据え膳食わぬは男の恥」と言うけど、無理に付き合う必要はないと思う。
They say 'it's a man's shame to refuse a woman's advances,' but I don't think you have to force yourself to go along.
彼は据え膳食わぬは男の恥という言葉を真に受けて、後悔したらしい。
He took the saying 'shameful is he who spurns a woman's invitation' seriously and apparently regretted it.
Refers to a meal set before someone, or figuratively a woman's open invitation. The proverb uses this image.
A traditional Japanese proverb. The literal meaning is 'not eating a meal set before you is a man's shame,' using the image of a prepared meal to represent a woman's clear romantic or sexual advance.