盗人ぬすっとに追おい銭せん

also: ぬすびとにおいせん

Meanings

throwing good money after bad

Idiomatic expression meaning to waste more resources on something already lost or failed, like giving more money to a thief who has already stolen from you.

失しっ敗ぱいした事じ業ぎょうにさらに投とう資しするのは、盗人ぬすっとに追おい銭せんというものだ。
Investing more in a failed business is what they call throwing good money after bad.

Kanji

盗steal, rob, pilfer
人person
追chase, drive away, follow
銭coin, .01 yen, money

Related words

焼やけ石いしに水みず
Both describe futile efforts, but 焼け石に水 emphasizes an insufficient measure (like a drop on a hot stone), while 盗人に追い銭 focuses on compounding a loss by adding more resources.

Built from

盗人ぬすっと+追おい銭せん

Written forms

盗人に追い銭
- ぬすっとにおいせん
  Standard kanji form for the idiom; 盗人 is read ぬすっと here.
- ぬすびとにおいせん
  Alternate reading of 盗人 as ぬすびと; less common in this idiom but recognized.
ぬすびとにおいせん

Etymology

The literal meaning is 'giving additional money to a thief.' It figuratively expresses the idea of wasting more resources on something already lost. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a traditional Japanese proverb.