also: おけら
mole cricket
Refers to the insect, especially the Oriental mole cricket (Gryllotalpa orientalis). Usually written in kana.
I found a mole cricket in the garden.
being broke; penniless
Only with reading おけら / オケラ
Colloquial expression, often used in the phrase おけらになる or オケラになる. Restricted to the reading おけら/オケラ.
Mole crickets dig tunnels in the soil.
I went broke from gambling.
I'm always broke right before payday.
jack of all trades, master of none
caddisfly; caddis fly
Katakana spelling is common for the insect; also used for the colloquial 'broke' sense.
Katakana spelling for the colloquial 'broke' sense.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Hiragana spelling for the colloquial 'broke' sense.
Kanji spelling for the insect; rare and mainly found in scientific or literary contexts. Also read おけら or ろうこ.
Abbreviated kanji; very rare.
The origin of けら for the insect is uncertain. The colloquial sense 'broke' may derive from the insect's association with dirt or from a pun on けら (mole cricket) and けら (empty), but the exact derivation is unclear.