disgrace of being captured and bound as a criminal
Dated expression referring to the shame of being arrested and tied up with rope, evoking historical or period contexts. Not used in modern everyday speech.
In period dramas, scenes where criminals suffer the disgrace of being bound are often depicted.
Compound of 縄目 (nawame, 'rope knot; binding') and 恥 (haji, 'shame'). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it reflects the traditional association of being tied with rope as a mark of criminal disgrace.