後うしろ言ごと

noun

crying over spilt milk; complaining about the past

Archaic noun for futile complaints about things that have already happened. Not used in modern Japanese; the concept is now expressed with phrases like 後の祭り or 覆水盆に返らず.

• 古ふるい文ぶん献けんでは「後うしろ言ごと」を、過すぎたことを悔くやむ意い味みで使つかうことがある。

  In old texts, 後ろ言 is sometimes used to mean regretting something that has already passed.

noun

backbiting; malicious gossip

Archaic noun for speaking ill of someone behind their back. In modern Japanese, 陰口 (かげぐち) is the standard word for this meaning.

• 「後うしろ言ごと」は、昔むかしの文ぶん章しょうで陰かげ口ぐちの意い味みに使つかわれた語ごだ。

  後ろ言 is a word that was used in old writing to mean speaking ill behind someone's back.