とばっちり
とばっちり
noun
getting caught up in; collateral damage
informal
1.
getting caught up in; getting splashed; collateral damage
Suffering unintended negative consequences from someone else's actions or a situation one wasn't directly involved in.
Etymology
Related to 飛ぶ (to fly) and ちる (to scatter) - originally referring to water splashing on a bystander. Now used metaphorically.
Usage
Describes being an innocent victim who suffers due to:
- Others' conflicts or mistakes
- Bad timing or being in the wrong place
- Chain reactions of negative events
Common collocations
- とばっちりを受ける - to receive collateral damage
- とばっちりを食らう - to get caught up in (stronger)
- とばっちりが来る - collateral damage comes
Register
Casual, spoken Japanese. Often used humorously or with mild complaint.
Related Words
Compare:
巻き添え (getting caught up in)