A：残業が多すぎるって、部長に言いましょぅよ。
B：部長はあそこで狸寝入りしていますよ。きっと聞こえているのに。
Tanuki Ne-iri Suru
(Kaishain-doshi ga hiru yasumi ni)
A: Zangyo ga osugiru'tte, buchoo ni iimashoo yo.
B: Bucho wa asokeo de tanuki ne-iri shite imasu yo. Kitto kikoete iru noni.
(Two office workers on their lunch break)
A: Come on, let's tell the section chief that we have too much overtime.
B: Hey, he's right over there. He's just pretending to be asleep. He can hear everything.
* * *
Tanuki ne-iri suru means to feign sleep, to pretend to be asleep, to look like one is sleeping, to play possum. In Japanese tanuki means raccoon dog.
The raccoon dog is a member of the dog family. I wonder if the reason the word raccoon turns up so often in Japanese expressions is because raccoon dogs were a common sight a long time ago? Today mostpeople need to go to a zoo to see one. A colleague at Yamaguchi University, however, tells me a raccoon dog visits his garden every night. He puts out some food and has even given the animal a name.
With this year's warmer weather the raccoon dog is sure to come out of hibernation soon and visit the garden again. I'd like to visit his house and see if raccoon dogs really do feign sleep (tanuki ne-iri wo suru ka doo ka mite mitai).
Let's continue this week's conversation. Imagine the section chief suddenly says, "If you don't like working overtime, fine. Don't. Just work harder throughout the rest of the day.'' The younger employees are surprised. "Ee, bucho neteirashita'n ja nakatta desu ka. Yappari, tanuki ne- iri datta'n desu ne (What? You weren't asleep, chief? You were just playing possum)." The chief replies, "Tanuki ne-iri nado suru hazu ga nai (Of course I wasn't playing possum). I was just a little tired and had closed my eyes." One of the female secretaries: "Demo, nete irassharu yoo ni, miemashita. Aa iu no wa, tanuki ne-iri 'tte iu'n desho (But you looked like you were sleeping. Isn't that what's called 'playing possum')?" Everyone is having fun. At such a company superiors and subordinates get along just fine.
At another company a section chief suddenly opens his eyes and announces, "Kimitachi, kyoo mo zangyoo shite morau node, sono tsumori de ne (Everyone, you can all plan on working overtime today)." The employees suddenly realize, "Buchoo wa tanuki ne-iri wo shite, bokutachi no hanashi wo kiite ita'n da (The chief was just playing possum. He heard everything we were saying)." No one dare says this to his face, though. They know he'd just get angry.
Playing possum is not just limited to middle-aged men. Take our daughter, for example. She's on the couch watching TV. When I ask her to do some shop- ping and she pretends to be asleep, I say, "Tanuki ne-iri nanka shite mo, dame yo (It's no use pretending. I know you're not asleep. You can't fool me)." She then replies, "Tanuki ne-iri nanka, shite nai (I'm not pretending). " "Hora, yappari tanuki ne-iri datta (Then how did you hear what I just said? See, you were just pretending)."