also: せっちんでまんじゅう
if you're hungry, where you eat doesn't matter
Proverb meaning that when you are truly hungry, you won't be picky about the place or circumstances. Literally 'manjū in the toilet'.
See also: 饅頭
The proverb 'manjū in the toilet' means that if you're hungry, you don't care where you eat.
hiding something good for oneself alone
Idiomatic use: secretly enjoying a treat in a private place like a toilet, implying selfishly keeping something good to oneself.
He's keeping the good news to himself, like eating manjū in the toilet.
饅頭 is a steamed bun with filling; the proverb uses it as a desirable food. The expression is not about manjū itself but about the situation.
Standard kanji form; 雪隠 is an old word for toilet. The reading せっちんでまんじゅう is the most common pronunciation.
Alternate reading of the kanji form; せんち is a common colloquial reading of 雪隠.
Variant spelling using kana for the first part; reflects the colloquial pronunciation せんち for 雪隠.
The phrase literally means 'manjū in the toilet'. 雪隠 (せっちん) is an old word for toilet. The proverb likely arose from the image of eating a treat in an unsavory place, emphasizing that hunger overrides disgust. The idiomatic sense extends this to hiding pleasures.