しっぺ返がえし

also: しっぺいがえし

し

っ

ぺ

が

え

し

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

retaliation; payback; tit for tat

Refers to returning a slight, attack, or unkind act in kind; often used in the phrase しっぺ返しをする or しっぺ返しを食らう.

彼かれに悪わる口くちを言いったら、すぐにしっぺ返がえしをされた。
When I badmouthed him, I got immediate payback.

あの

会かい

社しゃ

は

値ね

下さ

げ

競きょう

争そう

で

しっぺ

返がえ

し

を

食く

らっ

た

。

That company suffered retaliation in the price war.

Written forms

しっぺ返がえし
Standard mixed kanji-kana spelling; the most common written form.
竹箆返し
rarely-used kanji form
- しっぺいがえし
  Rare kanji form using 竹箆; reading しっぺいがえし is restricted to this and the next form.
- しっぺがえし
竹篦返し
rarely-used kanji form
- しっぺいがえし
  Rare kanji form using 竹篦; reading しっぺいがえし is restricted to this and the previous form.
- しっぺがえし
しっぺいがえし

Kanji

返return, answer, fade
竹bamboo
箆spatula, arrow shaft
篦

Similar words

仕し返かえし
仕返し is a more general term for revenge or getting even, while しっぺ返し specifically implies a quick, direct counterattack, often in response to a provocation.
報ほう復ふく
報復 is a formal term for retaliation, often used in legal or international contexts, whereas しっぺ返し is colloquial and personal.

Etymology

Derived from しっぺ (a flick or slap, often with a bamboo stick) and 返し (return). The original image is of returning a flick immediately, hence a swift counterblow. The kanji forms 竹箆返し and 竹篦返し reflect the bamboo-stick origin but are rarely used today.

spatula, arrow shaft