眉に唾を塗る · godan verb (-ru)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 眉に唾を塗る | 眉に唾を塗らない |
| Polite | 眉に唾を塗ります | 眉に唾を塗りません |
| Past polite | 眉に唾を塗りました | 眉に唾を塗りませんでした |
| Past | 眉に唾を塗った | 眉に唾を塗らなかった |
| Te-form | 眉に唾を塗って | 眉に唾を塗らないで |
| Desire | 眉に唾を塗りたい | 眉に唾を塗りたくない |
| Potential | 眉に唾を塗れる | 眉に唾を塗れない |
| Passive | 眉に唾を塗られる | 眉に唾を塗られない |
| Causative | 眉に唾を塗らせる | 眉に唾を塗らせない |
| Causative passive | 眉に唾を塗らせられるalso 眉に唾を塗らされる | 眉に唾を塗らせられないalso 眉に唾を塗らされない |
| Volitional | 眉に唾を塗ろう | |
| Polite volitional | 眉に唾を塗りましょう | |
| Imperative | 眉に唾を塗れ | 眉に唾を塗るな |
| Conditional | 眉に唾を塗れば | 眉に唾を塗らなければ |
| Tara conditional | 眉に唾を塗ったら | 眉に唾を塗らなかったら |
be on one's guard; keep one's wits about one; be wary
Idiomatic expression meaning to stay alert and not be deceived; literally 'to put saliva on one's eyebrows', from the folk belief that spitting on one's eyebrows wards off foxes and badgers that trick people.
See also: 眉に唾をつける
His story sounds too good to be true, so you'd better listen with a grain of salt.
Take online information with a pinch of salt.