noun
turning the wrong way; reverse twist
Refers to twisting or turning something in the opposite direction from what is intended, often causing damage or malfunction. Can be literal (screws, threads) or figurative.
ネジを逆ねじに回すと壊れることがある。
Turning a screw the wrong way can break it.
彼のアドバイスはいつも逆ねじで、かえって混乱する。
His advice always backfires and ends up causing more confusion.
noun
Figurative use: a sharp reply that turns someone's words or actions back on them, often in an argument or debate.
彼女の逆ねじに、彼は何も言えなくなった。
Her retort left him speechless.
逆手 means turning a disadvantage into an advantage or using an opponent's move against them, often in martial arts or strategy. 逆ねじ focuses more on a verbal retort or a literal reverse twist.
Compound of 逆 (reverse) and ねじ (screw, twist). The figurative sense likely derives from the idea of twisting someone's words back on them.