鼻はなつまみ

は

な

つ

ま

み

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

noun

disgusting person; nuisance; outcast

Derogatory term for someone so unpleasant that others hold their nose around them; implies social rejection. Often used in a figurative sense for a bore or a person who is a nuisance.

彼かれはいつも文もん句くばかり言いう鼻はなつまみだ。
He's a real nuisance, always complaining.
あんな鼻はなつまみとは一いっ緒しょに仕し事ごとをしたくない。
I don't want to work with such a disgusting fellow.

See all 3 example sentences ›

Kanji

鼻nose, snout
摘pinch, pick, pluck

Related words

厄やっ介かい者もの
厄介者 is a more neutral term for a troublesome person or burden, while 鼻つまみ is stronger and more contemptuous, implying the person is repulsive.
嫌きらわれ者もの
嫌われ者 simply means someone who is disliked; 鼻つまみ adds a visceral sense of disgust, as if one would hold one's nose.

Written forms

鼻はなつまみUsage95%
Most common spelling; uses kana for つまみ to avoid rare kanji.
鼻摘はなつまみUsage5%
Kanji spelling using 摘む; less common but still seen.
鼻はな摘つまみ
Full kanji spelling; very rare and somewhat redundant.

Etymology

Literally 'nose-pinching', from 鼻 (nose) and 摘まみ (pinching). The image is of holding one's nose to avoid a bad smell, extended to mean a person so unpleasant that others figuratively hold their noses around them.