Departments
Intermediate Japanese - Free Online Course
GOMA-SURI
胡麻すり
"sesame seed grinder"
In every office, there is at least one person who has plays toady to the boss. Such individuals sometimes get ahead, but they seldom enjoy the goodwill of their colleagues. In English, we refer to such people as “suck-ups” or “apple polishers.” In Japan, they are called goma-suri, or sesame-grinders. The metaphor refers to the traditional method of grinding roasted sesame seeds with a mortar and pestle. The verb form of goma-suri is goma o suru.