This proverb/metaphor is to mean ‘wasting one's efforts; rendering one's efforts futile.’ You know that Japanese people like to take a bath in a bathtub, in which you pour hot water (around 39-42℃), bathe and relax. In particular, the bath in cold season is perfect.
This metaphor describes the scene that you made water hot, then left it without using it, and the water got cold. Your act of making hot water just became waste.
The metaphor dates back to the Kamakura Period (around 1185-1333 A.D.)
Lets’ look at the various expressions which use yu 湯(ゆ).
【Sa-yu 白湯(さゆ)】
This word has shiro 白, but this doesn’t mean white water. Shiro 白 for this kanji combination (what we call juku-go 熟語) stands for ‘pure’ or ‘nothing else.’ Now you’ll understand that this word means pure hot water, usually for drinking.
【Yu-gue 湯気(ゆげ)】
When the water vapor from hot water or food looks like smoke, it’s called yugue 湯気(ゆげ); steam
● 水(みず)が沸騰(ふっとう)したので、やかんの口(くち)から湯気(ゆげ)がたくさん出て(でて)きた。 (Mizu-ga huttoo shita-no-de, yakan-no kuchi-kara yugue-ga takusan de-te ki-ta.)
As water boiled, a lot of steam came out from the spout of the kettle.
【Yu-kemuri 湯煙(ゆけむり)】
Steam or yuge 湯気(ゆげ) from hot water, especially, bathwater.
● 温泉(おんせん)からもうもうと湯気(ゆげ)が立ち(たち)のぼっている。 (Onsen-kara moo-moo-to yugue-ga ta-chi-nobot-te iru.)
Clouds of steam were coming out from the hot spring.
N.B. The Japanese sentence will have the same meaning even if 立ち(たち) is omitted. However, 立ち(たち) gives a poetic effect on the sentence.
【Yu-doohu 湯(ゆ)豆腐(どうふ)】
A hot pot cooking. Toohu 豆腐(とうふ) is put in a round pot with kombu こんぶ kelp and cooked. It’s good especially in winter. Other ingredients include vegetables and fish.
【Yu-nomi 湯飲み(ゆのみ)】
A cup for green tea.
【Yu-mizu 湯水(ゆみず)】
Hot water and (cold) water. This is used as simile when you refer to things that you have a lot, and you won’t feel sorry even when you use a lot.
● 彼女(かのじょ)はお金(おかね)を湯水(ゆみず)のように使った(つかった)。 (Kanojo-wa okane-o yu-mizu-no yoo-ni tsukat-ta.)
She spent the money like water.
In the following expressions, yu 湯(ゆ) is used to mean bathwater huro 風呂(ふろ), which is vital for the daily life of the Japanese!
Now you have come to the climax of this article!
【Yu-agari 湯上り(ゆあがり)】
Yu-agari 湯上り(ゆあがり) is just when you came out of the bath. Oh, no. Your imagination is not enough nor correct.
This yu 湯(ゆ) is not just what you call a bath.
It’s OHURO お風呂(おふろ). A bathtub, hot water, and relax. A few minutes later, you get out of the bath and you’ll have ecstasy at the moment―more ecstasy with beer, not to mention.
【Yu-bune 湯船(ゆぶね)】
There used to be boats in which bathtubs are installed. So yu-bune 湯船(ゆぶね) was used for business purpose. Now we don’t see such business, but the word still survives for meaning bathtub.
The word yu-bune 湯船(ゆぶね) reminds the Japanese of a bathtub which is full of hot water and looks very comfortable to be in.
【Nuruma-yu-ni tsukat-te ぬるま湯(ぬるまゆ)に浸かって(つかって)】
Nuruma-yu ぬるま湯(ぬるまゆ) is not necessarily very tepid. It’s like 39℃ and you can stay inside and relax for a longer time than in very hot water, atu-me-no yu 熱め(あつめ)の湯(ゆ)―like 42℃ or higher.
You will not want to get out of there. You become complacent.
● 遊び(あそび)まわってぬるま湯(ぬるまゆ)につかった大学(だいがく)生活(せいかつ)を送る(おくる)学生(がくせい)がかなりいる。 (Asobi mawat-te nuruma-yu-ni tsukat-ta daigaku-seikatsu-o okuru gakusee-ga kanari iru.)
Quite a number of university students have an easy life of it, just fooling around.
N.B. You’ll need an explanation on this sentence. For many Japanese students, college life is easy. It’s said that Japanese colleges are hard to enter, easy to graduate from. Many of them are busy with sports or club activities.
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