How to Read “Boastful words and a bantam’s crow cannot be relied upon”
Nōgaki to chabo no toki wa ate ni naranu
Meaning of “Boastful words and a bantam’s crow cannot be relied upon”
This proverb means you shouldn’t rely on fancy talk without action or things that look good but aren’t actually useful.
“Boastful words” originally referred to medicine labels that listed benefits. Over time, it came to mean empty explanations and theories without real action behind them.
A bantam is a small, cute chicken. But its crow is weak and unreliable for telling time. The proverb uses these two examples to make its point.
People use this saying when someone talks big but never follows through. It applies to people who make great proposals in meetings but never execute them.
It also fits products with flashy advertising but poor quality. These are all examples of things that look impressive on the surface but lack substance.
Today, this proverb still applies to many situations. Think of people who give great presentations but produce no results.
Or people who post inspiring messages on social media but never take real action. The proverb warns us about all these situations.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records explain the exact origin of this proverb. However, we can understand its background by looking at its components.
“Boastful words” originally meant instruction sheets for medicine. These sheets explained the medicine’s benefits and how to use it.
During the Edo period, medicine sellers used flashy advertising claims. They promised their products would cure diseases.
But often, the medicine didn’t work as well as advertised. This led people to use “boastful words” to mean fancy talk without real results.
The bantam is a small chicken with short legs. People kept them as ornamental birds.
During the Edo period, samurai families and townspeople loved their cute appearance. But bantams weren’t very practical.
They laid small eggs and had little meat. As farm animals, they had low value.
Most importantly, bantams failed at the rooster’s main job of announcing the time. Their crow was too weak and unreliable to serve as an alarm.
By combining these two elements, the proverb warns against things that look or sound impressive but lack real usefulness. It reflects the practical wisdom of common people who valued substance over appearance.
Interesting Facts
Bantams came to Japan from Southeast Asia during the Edo period. Their unique appearance led to the name “chabo,” meaning “ground-crawling chicken.”
Today, some bantam breeds are designated as natural monuments. People carefully raise them as ornamental birds.
The term “boastful words” comes from the age when it meant medicine labels. Toyama medicine merchants traveled across Japan selling their products.
Their flashy advertising slogans eventually created the expression “spouting boastful words.” This phrase is still used today.
Usage Examples
- That person writes impressive proposals, but boastful words and a bantam’s crow cannot be relied upon—they never actually do the work
- The new product had flashy advertising, but boastful words and a bantam’s crow cannot be relied upon—it didn’t perform as expected
Universal Wisdom
This proverb has been passed down through generations because it addresses an eternal human problem. That problem is the gap between words and actions.
Everyone wants to look good to others. Speaking impressively makes people respect and admire you.
But actually taking action is much harder than just talking. Action involves risk and effort.
That’s why people throughout history have let their words run ahead of their actions. This pattern appears in every culture and every era.
Our ancestors saw through this human tendency with sharp insight. Medicine labels and small chickens both represent promises.
Labels promise to restore health. Roosters promise to announce the time. But if these promises aren’t kept, fancy words and cute appearances mean nothing.
This proverb teaches us to see through surface beauty and clever words. We need to develop eyes that can judge the true essence of things.
When evaluating people or making decisions, look at substance, not appearance. This wisdom transcends time and culture.
The proverb also warns us not to become “boastful words” ourselves. We should take responsibility for our words and prove ourselves through action.
When AI Hears This
Unreliable boastful words and bantam time-keeping represent the “cheap signal problem” in information economics. Signaling theory shows that signal reliability depends on how much it costs the sender.
Speaking boastful words costs almost nothing. Anyone can say “I’m excellent.” Bantams have small bodies, so crowing early takes little physical effort.
This means even low-ability individuals can easily copy these signals. Michael Spence won the Nobel Prize for research showing that education works as a signal.
It works because capable people find it cheaper to obtain, while less capable people find it expensive. This creates what economists call “separating equilibrium.”
This proverb is sharp because it recognizes the same principle in two different areas. Human speech and animal behavior are completely different phenomena.
Yet they share the same information asymmetry problem. If you truly have ability, showing results is faster than explaining with words.
Large roosters can pay the physiological cost of adjusting their internal clocks to crow at accurate times. The cheaper a signal is to produce, the less trustworthy it is.
Japanese people understood this principle intuitively hundreds of years before economic theory formalized it. That’s remarkable insight.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches you about judgment in our information-overloaded age. Social media and the internet overflow with attractive words and beautiful images.
But you need to see whether real ability and achievement lie behind them. This skill has never been more necessary than now.
First, when evaluating others, look at their past actions and results, not just their words. People who give great presentations aren’t necessarily people who execute well.
Don’t overlook the value of people who quietly produce steady results. Their contributions matter more than flashy talk.
Most importantly, make sure you don’t become “boastful words” yourself. Before speaking big, execute small things reliably.
Always keep your promises. These small actions build trust in you over time.
Words matter, but actions matter more. This proverb sends you a continuous message.
Don’t live a life of empty words. Walk a path of real substance instead.
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