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井戸端会議 (idobatakaigi) Japanese meaning: idle gossip | Kotomora
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て
いる
。
The neighborhood ladies are deep in idle gossip.
Watercooler talk is always going on in the break room.
Kanji 戸 door, counter for houses, door radical (no. 63) 議 deliberation, consultation, debate Related words 噂うわさ 話ばなし 噂話 focuses on rumors or hearsay, while 井戸端会議 emphasizes the casual, social setting of the chat itself.
雑ざつ 談だん 雑談 is a general term for small talk or chitchat, whereas 井戸端会議 carries a more vivid, slightly old-fashioned image of neighborhood gossip.
Etymology Compound of 井戸端 (well-side) and 会議 (meeting). The term evokes the image of housewives gathering at the communal well to chat, a common social scene in pre-modern Japan.
