姥うば捨すて山やま

noun

mountain where old people were abandoned (legend)

Refers to the legendary practice of abandoning the elderly on a mountain, often associated with the story of Obasute-yama. Used in historical or literary contexts.

• 姥うば捨すて山やまの伝でん説せつは、日本にほんの昔むかし話ばなしとして知しられている。

  The legend of the mountain where old people were abandoned is known as a Japanese folktale.

noun

dead-end position for an older employee

Metaphorical use in business: a position or department where an older, less productive employee is sidelined, similar to being 'put out to pasture'.

• 彼かれは会かい社しゃで姥うば捨すて山やまに追おいやられた。

  He was pushed into a dead-end position at the company.

noun

women's college (obs. slang, derog.)

Obsolete derogatory slang from the Meiji and Taisho periods for a women's college, implying it was a place to send women away. No longer in use.

See also: 女子大学

• 明めい治じ時じ代だいには、女じょ子し大だい学がくを姥うば捨すて山やまと呼よぶことがあった。

  In the Meiji period, women's colleges were sometimes called 'ubasuteyama'.