feeble anger; impotent rage
Idiomatic expression for anger or frustration that one cannot act on because one is powerless. Often used self-deprecatingly or to describe a weak person's futile resistance. Literally 'the clenching teeth of a dried sardine'.
His protest is nothing more than the clenching teeth of a dried sardine.
Even if a small company complains to a big corporation, it's just impotent rage.
Standard kana-mixed spelling for this idiomatic expression.
Kanji spelling using 鱓 for ごまめ; very rare and likely to be misread.
From ごまめ (dried sardine) + の + 歯軋り (teeth grinding). The image is of a tiny, dried fish grinding its teeth in anger, which is futile and laughable. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a traditional Japanese idiom.