(すじちが)

すじちがい
noun, na-adjective
misplaced; misdirected; wrong (person/target)
1. misplaced; misdirected; unreasonable; barking up the wrong tree
Describes a complaint, criticism, or demand that is directed at the wrong person or based on flawed logic. The reasoning or target is off the mark.
それは筋違(すじちが)いだ。
That's misdirected / barking up the wrong tree.
部下(ぶか)のミスを社長(しゃちょう)文句(もんく)()うのは筋違(すじちが)いだ。
Complaining to the president about a subordinate's mistake is misdirected.
自分(じぶん)失敗(しっぱい)他人(たにん)のせいにするのは筋違(すじちが)いな(はなし)だ。
Blaming others for your own failures is unreasonable.
2. muscle strain; crick; sprain
A physical strain or crick in the muscles, especially in the neck or back, caused by an awkward movement.
(くび)筋違(すじちが)いを()こした。
I got a crick in my neck.
(きゅう)()()いたら(くび)筋違(すじちが)いになった。
When I turned around suddenly, I got a crick in my neck.
(あさ)()きたら背中(せなか)筋違(すじちが)いのような(いた)みがあった。
When I woke up in the morning, I had a strain-like pain in my back.

Composed of (すじ) (line, logic, reason) + (ちが)い (difference, deviation). The core meaning is that something deviates from the proper line of reasoning or the correct physical alignment.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 筋違(すじちが)いな要求(ようきゅう): a misdirected demand
  • 筋違(すじちが)いな文句(もんく): a misplaced complaint
  • 筋違(すじちが)いな(はなし): an unreasonable argument
  • (くび)筋違(すじちが)い: a crick in the neck

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 門違(かどちが)い: wrong address, misdirected — similar to sense 1; literally means going to the wrong house
  • 見当違(けんとうちが)い: off the mark, mistaken — focusing on a wrong guess or estimate
  • 的外(まとはず)れ: off target, irrelevant — missing the point entirely

USAGE:
Sense 1 is commonly used when someone directs anger, complaints, or demands at the wrong person. It implies that their logic is fundamentally flawed in terms of who or what they should be addressing.