猿さる芝しば居い

noun

monkey show

Literal meaning: a performance featuring trained monkeys. This sense is the basis for the idiomatic use.

• 昔むかし、猿さる芝しば居いは縁えん日にちで人にん気きがあった。

  In the old days, monkey shows were popular at festivals.

noun

bad acting; overacting; unconvincing performance; farce; clumsy subterfuge

Idiomatic use: describes poor, exaggerated, or transparent acting, or any clumsy attempt at deception. Often used critically.

• 彼かれの演えん技ぎはまるで猿さる芝しば居いだ。

  His acting is just like a monkey show—terrible and overdone.

• そんな猿さる芝しば居いにだまされるわけがない。

  There's no way I'd be fooled by such clumsy subterfuge.