How to say "double-dealer" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 二股膏薬ふたまたこうやくnounCovers 'double-dealer' and 'timeserver': someone who shifts between two sides in a conflict, currying favor with each. A less common four-character idiom; the image is a plaster split in two, clinging to both sides.
- 内股膏薬うちまたこうやくnounCovers 'double-dealer', 'timeserver', and 'fence-sitter': someone who shifts between two sides in a conflict or avoids committing to either. Less common; the image is an inner-thigh plaster that sticks to whichever leg it touches.
Both are less common four-character idioms describing a timeserving double-dealer who shifts between two sides in a conflict; they overlap heavily, and 内股膏薬 alone also covers the 'fence-sitter' who avoids committing to either side.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
