獺だっ祭さい

noun

literary composition crammed with allusions; poetry composed by arraying reference books

Refers to a style of writing or poetry that is heavily laden with classical allusions, maxims, and references, as if the writer surrounded themselves with source materials like an otter lining up fish. Often associated with the poet Masaoka Shiki, who used 獺祭書屋 as a pen name.

• 彼かれの論ろん文ぶんは獺だっ祭さいの趣おもむきがあり、古こ今こん東とう西ざいの文ぶん献けんが引いん用ようされている。

  His paper has the flavor of 獺祭, citing works from all ages and countries.

noun

otters lining up fish on a riverbank; making offerings of fish

Original meaning: the behavior of otters arranging caught fish in a row, which was likened to a ritual offering. Now mostly encountered in classical contexts or as the etymological basis for sense 1.

• 「獺だっ祭さい」の原げん義ぎは、カワウソが捕とった魚さかなを岸きしに並ならべる習しゅう性せいを祭まつりに見み立たてたものだ。

  The original meaning of 獺祭 is likening the otter's habit of lining up caught fish on the bank to a ritual offering.