1.
handwriting with personal quirks; idiosyncratic penmanship
Handwriting whose individual style — slant, loops, oversized characters — makes it noticeably personal, often at the cost of legibility. Carries a slightly negative or apologetic nuance.
父の字は癖字で読みにくい。
My father's handwriting is quirky and hard to read.
癖字なので書類は活字で書くようにしている。
My handwriting is quirky, so I make sure to print on documents.
昔の手紙を読み返したら、祖母の癖字が懐かしく感じられた。
Rereading old letters, I felt nostalgic for my grandmother's distinctive handwriting.
Compound of 癖 (habit; quirk) + 字 (character; handwriting). The 癖 element gives it a mildly negative tone — usually about legibility, sometimes affectionate when describing a familiar person.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 癖字で書く: to write in quirky handwriting
- ひどい癖字: terrible/illegible handwriting
- 癖字を直す: to correct one's handwriting quirks
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 悪筆: bad handwriting — straightforwardly negative, focuses on poor quality
- 達筆: skilled, flowing calligraphy — positive, often hard to read for the opposite reason
- 下手な字: clumsy handwriting — emphasizes lack of skill, not personality