船ふねを漕こぐ

expression, godan verb (-gu)

nod off while sitting; doze off

Idiomatic expression literally meaning 'to row a boat', used to describe the motion of someone nodding off while seated, as if rowing. The literal meaning is rarely used in modern Japanese; the idiomatic sense is the primary one.

• 会かい議ぎ中ちゅう、彼かれは船ふねを漕こいでいた。

  During the meeting, he was nodding off.

• 電でん車しゃで船ふねを漕こぐ乗じょう客きゃくをよく見みかける。

  I often see passengers dozing off on the train.