同おなじ穴あなのムジナ

お

な

じ

あ

な

の

む

じ

な

Meanings

1

expression, noun

birds of a feather; villains of the same stripe

idiomatic expression

Idiomatic expression meaning people of the same (usually bad) kind; literally 'badgers of the same hole'. Often used to imply that two or more people are equally guilty or share the same unsavory character.

あの

二人ふたり

は

同おな

じ

穴あな

のムジナ

だ

。

Those two are birds of a feather.

彼かれらは同おなじ穴あなのムジナで、どちらも信しん用ようできない。

They are villains of the same stripe; neither can be trusted.

Kanji

同same, agree, equal
穴hole, aperture, slit
狢badger

Related words

類るいは友ともを呼よぶ
A proverb meaning 'birds of a feather flock together', focusing on the natural tendency of similar people to gather. 同じ穴のムジナ is more accusatory, implying shared guilt or bad character.
同どう類るい
A neutral noun meaning 'the same kind' or 'similar people'. 同じ穴のムジナ carries a stronger negative connotation and is idiomatic.

Written forms

同おなじ穴あなのムジナ
Common katakana spelling for the animal name in this idiom.
同おなじ穴あなの狢むじな
Kanji spelling using 狢; less common but still seen.
同おなじ穴あなのむじな
All-hiragana spelling; sometimes used for clarity or in children's contexts.

Etymology

The phrase literally means 'badgers of the same hole'. It originates from the idea that badgers (ムジナ) living in the same burrow are alike in nature, and by extension, people who associate closely share the same (often unsavory) traits. The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it has been used as a set phrase for centuries.