1.
boasting; bragging; self-promotional claims; sales pitch
Self-promoting talk or written claims about how good something is. Originally referred to the description of a medicine's efficacy on its packaging, and by extension came to mean exaggerated claims or boasting in general. Often used dismissively.
Originally referred to the printed description of a medicine's ingredients and efficacy (能書き = list of capabilities/effects). Over time, the meaning shifted to 'self-promotional talk' or 'boasting,' with a dismissive or skeptical nuance. Almost always used negatively.
Common collocations
- 能書きを並べる: to rattle off claims; to boast
- 能書きを垂れる: to spout off boasts (blunt/rough)
- 能書きはいい: enough with the talk (dismissive)
- 能書きばかり: nothing but boasting
Usage
The phrase 能書きはいいから is a common way to tell someone to stop talking and start doing. The word carries an inherently skeptical tone — the speaker implies the claims are exaggerated or empty.
Etymology
From 能書 (a document listing the properties and efficacy of medicine) + き (a suffix). The original neutral meaning of 'product description' has largely given way to the negative sense of 'empty boasting.'