Friends & the Clump of Restraint
Did you know that Ross and Rachel on the TV sitcom Friends started off their rollercoaster ride of a relationship with a Japanese cultural concept? They probably weren’t aware of it either, in all honesty. I recently watched the first episode (for the first time ever, actually), and I noticed. The initial romantic back and forth comes during a conversation started when they both reach for the last Oreo cookie on a plate. The last bit of food on a plate is called 遠慮の固まり (えんりょのかたまり / enryo no katamari) in Japanese. It means “clump of restraint” or “lump of reserve.” Generally speaking, nobody goes for the last piece of food on a shared plate because they do not want to seem greedy. Or, similarly, they want to allow others to enjoy the last piece of food. Either way, many times it winds up uneaten. This clip is from Episode 1 of Season 1. I noticed that Rachel doesn’t eat her half of the Oreo, by the way. But Ross doesn’t pick it back up and eat it, either. I wonder how that would play in Japan. Interesting…
By the way, I would be remiss if I neglected to take this opportunity to recommend that you visit the Guide to Friends in Japanese. It’s on the blogroll, and I highly recommend it. The blogger, Rach, really knows her stuff. I enjoy reading her explanations of the complex humor on the show. Give it a shot (see her analysis of episode 1 beginning here and continuing to parts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8). And see if you’d be interested in her book while you’re at it. 