also: さざえにこんぺいとう
two people arguing without listening to each other
Idiomatic expression describing a situation where two people are so busy asserting their own opinions that neither allows the other to speak or be heard. Often used for stubborn, unproductive arguments.
Their argument is like two people talking past each other, completely not meshing.
The meeting turned into a situation where everyone was just arguing without listening, and nothing was decided.
水掛け論 is a more common term for a fruitless back-and-forth argument, while サザエに金平糖 is a more vivid, idiomatic expression emphasizing the lack of mutual listening.
Common katakana-kanji mixed spelling for the idiom.
Kanji spelling using 栄螺 for サザエ; less common and may be harder to read.
The idiom literally means 'a turban shell and a konpeitō (sugar candy)'. The exact origin is uncertain, but it likely refers to two things that are completely different in shape and nature, symbolizing two people whose opinions never align. The expression is not widely used in modern Japanese.