Japanese

鹿

ばかいんぎん
Meaning: excessive politeness that feels rude, condescending, or insincere
Part of Speech: Noun, Four-character idiom

Listen to pronunciation

Example

彼の馬鹿慇懃な態度は、かえって客を不快にした。
His excessively polite attitude ended up making the customer uncomfortable.

Usage Notes

Use this four-character idiom to criticize manners that are so formal or deferential that they feel unpleasant.

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