揚あげ足あし

noun

raised leg; lifting a leg

Literal meaning: a leg that is lifted or the action of lifting a leg. Most commonly encountered in the idiom 揚げ足を取る (to find fault, to pick on someone's words).

• 相撲すもうで相あい手ての揚あげ足あしを取とるのは反はん則そくだ。

  In sumo, grabbing the opponent's raised leg is a foul.

• 彼かれはすぐ人ひとの揚あげ足あしを取とる癖くせがある。

  He has a habit of picking on people's minor mistakes.

noun

market upturn; rising trend

Only when written 上げ足 / 上足

Financial term for an upward movement in the market. Antonym: 下げ足 (さげあし). Restricted to the kanji forms 上げ足 and 上足.

Antonyms: 下げ足

• 今日きょうの相そう場ばは上あげ足あしが強つよい。

  The market is showing a strong upturn today.

noun

sitting cross-legged

Archaic term for sitting cross-legged. Not used in modern Japanese; the common word is あぐら (胡坐).

• 古こ文ぶん書しょには「揚あげ足あし」を組くんで座すわる様よう子すが描えがかれている。

  Old documents depict sitting with legs crossed as '揚げ足'.