full of holes; leaky
Metaphorical use describing something with many holes or gaps, like a sieve. Often used in compounds like ざる法 (a law full of loopholes) or ざる碁 (a Go game with many weak points).
この法律はざる法で、抜け穴が多い。
This law is full of loopholes; it's a 'zaru law'.
zaru soba
Abbreviation of ざる蕎麦 (zaru soba), cold soba noodles served on a bamboo draining basket.
See also: ざる蕎麦
夏はざるがおいしい。
In summer, zaru soba is delicious.
heavy drinker; someone who can drink like a fish
Colloquial term for a person who can drink a lot of alcohol without seeming affected, as if their body is a sieve that lets alcohol pass through.
I put the washed vegetables in a draining basket to let the water drip off.
Please drain the water by putting it in a colander.
ざるそばは、ゆでたそばをざるに盛って出す。
Zaru soba is served by placing boiled soba noodles on a bamboo draining basket.
彼の守備はざるだから、すぐに点を取られる。
His defense is full of holes, so they score easily.
He's a heavy drinker, so no matter how much he drinks, he doesn't get drunk.
It was hot, so I ordered zaru soba for lunch.
This rule is full of loopholes, and people quickly find ways around it.
I drained the boiled pasta using a colander.
大酒飲み is a plain descriptive term for someone who drinks a lot, while ざる is a more colloquial, joking metaphor comparing the person to a sieve that alcohol passes through.
籠 (かご) is a general woven basket for carrying or storing things, whereas ざる is specifically a shallow, perforated basket used for draining or serving food.
A colander/strainer can also be counted with 枚 when treated as a flat kitchen utensil, but 個 is more general.
Usually written in kana; the kanji 笊 is rare and not commonly used.
Katakana spelling is sometimes used for emphasis or in informal contexts.
Rare kanji form; not commonly encountered.
Originally referred to a traditional bamboo basket used for draining. The metaphorical sense 'full of holes' developed from the basket's structure. The abbreviation for zaru soba and the slang for a heavy drinker are later extensions.