You’re a NECK!―お前(おまえ)は首(くび)だ！

首(くび)だ！―Fired!

I don’t know why they use ‘fire’ in English when they fire somebody. Instead, in the Japanese language, we use ‘neck.’

When they fire you, we say, ”You’re a NECK!” It doesn’t make sense. No worry. Japanese never makes sense unlike English—English is always logical like a numerical formula, I think.

Why neck?

After a puppet show is finished, in Japan, the head of puppets are taken off from the body for the storage purpose. This image has come to mean DISCHARGE, OUT OF OFFICE, LAYOFF, etc. In this case, kubi 首(くび) includes the head, as is often the case.

こんな仕事(しごと)嫌(いや)だ―I abominate this job.

● 「お前(おまえ)は首(くび)だ！」「いいさ。こんな仕事(しごと)、嫌気(いやけ)がさすよ。」 (“Omae-wa kubi-da!” “Ii-sa. kon-na shigoto, iyake-ga sasu-yo.)

“You’re fired.” “Thanks. I’m sick of this business.”

● 「こんな仕事(しごと)やめてやる。」「君(きみ)はやめるんじゃないんだよ。首(くび)なんだ。」 (“Kon-na shigoto yame-te ya-ru.” “Kimi-wa yame-run-ja na-in-da-yo.” “Kubi nan-da.”

“OK. I’ll quit this lousy job.” “You can’t quit. You’re fired.”

● 首(くび)になっても構わない(かまわない)よ。 (Kubi-ni nat-te-mo kama-wa-nai-yo.)

I won’t blame them even if they fire me.

● 「彼(かれ)、いつ会社(かいしゃ)を辞めた(やめた)の。」「辞めたん(やめたん)じゃないの、首(くび)になったのよ。」 (“Kare, itsu kaisha-o yame-ta-no.” “Yame-tan-ja na-i-no, kubi-ni nat-ta-no-yo.”)

“Do you know when he quit his job?” “He didn’t quit; he was dismissed!”

首 is used for various expressions.

【kubi-ga to-bu 首(くび)が飛ぶ(とぶ)】

Your neck will not fly. This is also used to mean ‘fire.’

仕事中に寝たら首が飛ぶよ―You'd be dismissed if you slept on duty.

● そんなことをしたら首(くび)が飛ぶ(とぶ)よ。 (Son-na-koto-o shita-ra kubi-ga tobu-yo.)

You’ll be fired if you do such a thing.

【kubi-ki-ri 首切り(くびきり)】

This literary means to cut and drop your neck. It’s quite scary. But, like ‘首(くび)が飛ぶ(とぶ)’ this means ‘fire.’

● 社長(しゃちょう)は5(５)人(にん)の首(くび)を切る(きる)と言った(いった)。 (Shachoo-wa go-nin-no kubi-o ki-ru-to it-ta.)

The president said he would fire five employees.

首(くび)が回(まわ)らないよ―I'm heavily in debt.

【kubi-ga mawa-ra-na-i 首(くび)が回らない(まわらない)】

When you have borrowed too much money to repay, you’re in condition that “kubi-ga mawa-ra-nai 首(くび)が回らない(まわらない).”

● 「今年(ことし)のような冷夏(れいか)では、首(くび)が回らなく(まわらなく)なってしまうよ。」と氷屋(こおりや)さんが、なげいていた。 (“Kotoshi-no yoo-na reika-de-wa, kubi-ga mawa-ra-na-ku nat-te shima-u-yo.” to koori-ya-san-ga nague-i-te-i-ta.)

I know an ice dealer who sighed, “We have so cold summer that I can’t earn enough to pay my loans.”

The ice made by the ice dealer is especially good for whiskey and 焼酎 (しょうちゅう), which is Japanese liquor made from yam, rice, buckwheat, etc, depending on local products.

【kubi-o kashi-gue-ru 首(くび)をかしげる】

【ko-kubi-o kashi-gue-ru 小首(こくび)をかしげる】

This is to cock your head to one side to think over something or wonder why, how, what, etc.

● 彼(かれ)は、おかしなことがあるものだと首(くび)をかしげた。 (Kare-wa, okashi-na koto-ga a-ru mono-da-to kubi-o kashi-gue-ta.)

He cocked his head to one side to wonder how this happened.

N.B. Kashi-gue-ru かしげる is to ‘tilt.’

【kubi-o tsuk-ko-mu 首(くび)をつっこむ】

You’re so keenly interested in a thing or matter that you’re involved in it.

● あの子はいろいろなお稽古に首をつっこんでいるので、忙しい。 (Ano-ko-wa iroiro-na o-keiko-ni kubi-o tsuk-kon-de i-ru-no-de, isogashi-i.)

That kid takes so many lessons after school that he/she is tied up.

【kubi-o naga-ku-su-ru 首(くび)を長く(ながく)する】

【kubi-o noba-su 首(くび)をのばす】

I wish she came back earlier...My neck's getting longer...

Can you make your neck longer? If you’re kept waiting for someone, you may try to look farther, doing like standing on tiptoes, to find your friend. You can’t wait any longer. This is the image as if your neck becomes longer.

● 旅行(りょこう)の計画(けいかく)を立てながら(たてながら)、首(くび)を長く(ながく)して夏休み(なつやすみ)を待った(まった)。 (Ryokoo-no keikaku-o ta-te nagara, kubi-o naga-ku-shi-te natsu-yasumi-o mat-ta.)

Making the schedule of the travel, I couldn’t wait for the summer vacation.

【kubit-take 首(くび)ったけ】

When you’re lost in love and fascinated in somebody, you’re kubit-take 首(くび)ったけ. 'たけ' is 丈(たけ) in this sense, and is to mean the length from your ankle to neck. This expression has the image that you get stuck in something from head to toe.

首ったけ is not 首だけ. It's not that you love him only by the neck.

● 彼(かれ)は君(きみ)の妹(いもうと)に首(くび)ったけだ。 (Kare-wa kimi-no imooto-ni kubit-take-da.)

He has a crush on your sister.

【shu-choo 首長(しゅちょう)】

head of a group, especially of a town, village, city, prefecture, ministry, etc.

● 都道府県の首長は、知事と言います。 (To-doo-hu-ken-no shu-choo-wa, chiji-to ii-ma-su.)

The head of each prefecture is called governor.

【shu-shoo 首相(しゅしょう)】

Shu-shoo 首相(しゅしょう) or soo-ri 総理(そうり) is the prime minister

The official name of the prime minister of Japan is naikaku-soori-daijin 内閣(ないかく)総理(そうり)大臣(だいじん).

The picture is not the real prime minister, of course.

● 内閣(ないかく)は、法律(ほうりつ)の定める(さだめる)ところにより、その首長(しゅちょう)たる内閣(ないかく)総理(そうり)大臣(だいじん)及び(および)その他(そのた)の国務(こくむ)大臣(だいじん)でこれを組織(そしき)する。 (Naikaku-wa, hooritsu-no sadame-ru tokoro-ni-yo-ri, sono shuchoo-taru naikaku-soori-daijin oyo-bi sono ta-no kokumu-daijin-de kore-o soshiki-suru.)

The Cabinet shall consist of the Prime Minister, who shall be its head, and other Ministers of State, as provided for by law.

Note: From the Article 66 of the Constitution of Japan

【shu-noo 首脳(しゅのう)】head of a country, society.

● 各国(かっこく)の首脳(しゅのう)が集まって(あつまって)会議(かいぎ)が開かれ(ひらかれ)た。 (Kak-koku-no shu-noo-ga atsumat-te kaigui-ga hira-ka-re-ta.)

A summit conference was held; the leaders of each nation gathered.

She gave the valedictory speech at a graduation ceremony.

【shu-seki 首席(しゅせき)】top, head

● 私(わたし)の姉(あね)は、中学校(ちゅうがっこう)を首席(しゅせき)で卒業(そつぎょう)しました。 (Watashi-no ane-wa chuu-gak-koo-o shu-seki-de sotsu-gyoo shi-ma-shi-ta.)

My sister graduated from middle school at the top of the class.

【shuto 首都(しゅと)】is the capital of a country

● 日本(にほん)の首都(しゅと)は東京(とうきょう)です。 (Nippon-no shuto-wa Tokyo-de-su.)

The capital of Japan is Tokyo.

Tokyo Station: The model is Amsterdam Station, in the Netherlands.