脇が甘い · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 脇が甘い | 脇が甘くない |
| Polite | 脇が甘いです | 脇が甘くないですalso 脇が甘くありません |
| Past polite | 脇が甘かったです | 脇が甘くなかったですalso 脇が甘くありませんでした |
| Past | 脇が甘かった | 脇が甘くなかった |
| Te-form | 脇が甘くて | 脇が甘くなくて |
| Adverbial | 脇が甘く | |
| Conditional | 脇が甘ければ | 脇が甘くなければ |
| Tara conditional | 脇が甘かったら | 脇が甘くなかったら |
poor at preventing an underarm grip
Sumo term: describes a wrestler who is weak at defending against an opponent's underarm hold (脇).
That sumo wrestler is weak at defending against an underarm grip, so he quickly gets his arm grabbed.
having weak defenses; off guard; vulnerable
Idiomatic extension of the sumo term; used for people, teams, or systems that are easily exploited or caught unprepared.
He's good at his job, but in his private life he can be off his guard.
That team has weak defense, so let's target that.
Originally a sumo term. 脇 (armpit/side) refers to the area under the arm; 甘い here means 'loose' or 'weak.' The phrase describes a wrestler who fails to keep his armpits tight, allowing an opponent to get an underarm grip. It later broadened into general use for any kind of defensive vulnerability.