noun
wet fallen leaves
Literal meaning: fallen leaves that are wet and cling to surfaces, making them hard to sweep away.
雨の翌朝、庭に濡れ落ち葉がたくさん張り付いていた。
The morning after the rain, many wet fallen leaves were stuck to the garden ground.
noun
retired husband who is always underfoot at home
Figurative, often humorous or critical, comparing a retired man who stays at home and gets in the way to wet fallen leaves that are hard to get rid of. Commonly used in the phrase 濡れ落ち葉症候群 (wet leaf syndrome).
定年退職した父は、母に「濡れ落ち葉」と呼ばれている。
After retiring, my father is called a 'wet fallen leaf' by my mother.
濡れ落ち葉症候群という言葉を聞いたこと
Have you ever heard of the term 'wet leaf syndrome'?
Literally 'bulky trash', also used figuratively for a retired husband who is considered useless at home, but harsher than 濡れ落ち葉.
Compound of 濡れ (nure, 'wet') + 落ち葉 (ochiba, 'fallen leaves'). The figurative sense arose from the image of wet leaves clinging stubbornly to surfaces, applied to retired men who stay at home and are difficult to shoo away.