1.
nasal medicine; nose drops; nasal spray
Medicine applied to or through the nose, including nasal drops, sprays, and ointments for treating nasal congestion, allergies, and related conditions.
花粉症には鼻薬が効く。
Nasal medicine works for hay fever.
医者に鼻薬を処方してもらった。
I had the doctor prescribe nasal medicine for me.
鼻が詰まって眠れないので、寝る前に鼻薬を使っている。
My nose is so stuffed I can't sleep, so I use nasal medicine before bed.
2.
bribe; hush money; a small sweetener to win someone over
An informal term for a bribe or small payment to win someone's favor. The figurative meaning comes from the image of making someone inhale something pleasant to sway them.
鼻薬を効かせて許可を取った。
Got the permit by slipping someone a bribe.
役人に鼻薬をかがせるなんて、今の時代では通らない。
Bribing officials is something that wouldn't fly in this day and age.
あの会社は審査員に鼻薬を効かせて契約を勝ち取ったという噂がある。
There are rumors that company won the contract by greasing the palms of the reviewers.
Has two distinct meanings: the literal medical sense (nasal medicine) and a figurative sense (bribery). The figurative meaning comes from the image of making someone sniff something pleasant to win them over.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 鼻薬を効かせる: to grease someone's palm, to bribe (sense 2)
- 鼻薬をかがせる: to slip someone a bribe (sense 2)
- 鼻薬を差す: to apply nose drops (sense 1)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 点鼻薬: nasal drops — more formal medical term for nose drops
- 賄賂: bribe — the standard, direct term for a bribe
- 袖の下: under-the-table payment — another idiomatic expression for a bribe