1.
superficial knowledge; hastily acquired skill; slapdash preparation
Knowledge or skills that were quickly crammed or picked up at the last minute, without genuine understanding or mastery. Implies that such preparation will not hold up under pressure.
I went into the exam with hastily crammed knowledge, and sure enough, I failed.
Literally means "attached tempered blade" — a cheap blade with a thin layer of hard steel welded onto it. Such blades look sharp but quickly become dull, just as hastily acquired knowledge or skills crumble under real-world use.
Common collocations
- 付け焼き刃の知識: superficial knowledge
- 付け焼き刃の対策: hasty countermeasures
- 付け焼き刃の勉強: last-minute cramming
- 付け焼き刃では通用しない: superficial skills won't cut it
Similar words
- 一夜漬け: overnight cramming — specifically cramming the night before an exam
- にわか仕込み: hastily learned — similar idea of quickly picked-up skills
- その場しのぎ: stopgap — a temporary fix that doesn't address the root cause
Etymology
From swordsmithing: a 付け焼き刃 is a blade where hard steel is merely attached to the surface rather than forged properly. It cuts at first but dulls quickly — a perfect metaphor for shallow preparation.
Related Words
Compare:
一夜漬け (overnight cramming)