In period dramas, a servant stands behind the samurai.
Edo-period term for a man of chivalrous spirit, often associated with the 侠客 (kyōkaku) subculture.
あの男は江戸の奴のような心意気を持っている。
That man has the spirit of an Edo-period chivalrous man.
cubed tofu
Abbreviation of 奴豆腐 (やっこどうふ). Cold cubed tofu, often served with condiments.
See also: 奴豆腐
夏は冷たい奴にしょうがをのせて食べるのが好きだ。
In summer, I like to eat cold cubed tofu with ginger on top.
footman-shaped kite
Abbreviation of 奴凧 (やっこだこ). A kite shaped like an Edo-period footman.
See also: 奴凧
正月に奴を揚げるのが子供の頃の楽しみだった。
Flying a footman-shaped kite at New Year's was a childhood pleasure.
Edo-period hairstyle
Abbreviation of 奴頭 (やっこあたま). A hairstyle worn by samurai's attendants in the Edo period.
See also: 奴頭
浮世絵に描かれた奴の髪型は独特だ。
The hairstyle of the attendants depicted in ukiyo-e is distinctive.
enslavement (of a woman)
Edo-period punishment where a woman was enslaved for her own or her husband's crime.
江戸時代には、罪を犯した者の妻が奴にされることがあった。
In the Edo period, the wife of a criminal could be enslaved.
That guy is really an unpleasant jerk.
We cut the tofu into cubes and ate it cold.
I never want to talk to a guy like this again.
machi-yakko; townsman vigilantes
low-ranking samurai (derogatory)