Wholesaler’s Right Now: Japanese Proverb Meaning

How to Read Wholesaler’s Right Now

Ton’ya no tadaima

Meaning of Wholesaler’s Right Now

“Wholesaler’s right now” means to brush someone off and make them wait when you’re busy or when it’s inconvenient.

This proverb describes situations where someone actually has time but uses phrases like “I’m busy right now” or “I’m tied up at the moment” to give makeshift responses to troublesome people or unwelcome visitors. From the way wholesalers would make customers wait for business reasons, it came to refer to the act of misleading someone or keeping them at a distance with convenient excuses.

It’s used in situations such as when someone makes a troublesome request or when someone you don’t want to meet comes to visit, using the convenient word “right now” to deflect them. Even today, scenes like saying “He’s away from his desk right now” on the phone to avoid transferring calls, or saying “We’re currently considering it” to postpone giving an answer, can be considered modern versions of this “Wholesaler’s right now.”

Origin and Etymology of Wholesaler’s Right Now

The origin of “Wholesaler’s right now” is a proverb born from the actual conditions of commercial society during the Edo period. Wholesalers were wholesale merchants who acted as intermediaries between producers and retail stores, playing an important role in Edo period commerce.

The background to this proverb’s creation lies in the special circumstances of wholesalers’ business. Wholesalers had many business partners and were constantly busy with various business talks and negotiations. Therefore, even when visitors came, they frequently couldn’t respond immediately, saying things like “I’m tied up right now” or “I’m currently in business talks with another customer.”

Edo period wholesalers in particular often dealt with seasonal goods and trendy items, where timing determined the success or failure of business. Therefore, when concentrating on one business negotiation, it wasn’t unusual to make other customers wait. Also, since wholesalers’ business was built on trust first and foremost, once they started a business discussion, they couldn’t interrupt it midway, so having visitors wait with the word “right now” was a daily occurrence.

From such actual conditions of wholesalers’ business, the proverb “Wholesaler’s right now” was born and became established as an expression with a specific meaning.

Trivia about Wholesaler’s Right Now

Edo period wholesalers were like modern trading companies, not mere intermediaries. They were professionals in the commercial world who handled everything from product quality control and pricing to planning new products. Therefore, each business negotiation was extremely important and complex.

The word “right now” itself is also interesting, having much more important meaning in the Edo period than today. In an era when clocks weren’t widespread, “right now” was a word that expressed a very limited time meaning “precisely at this very moment,” so it was used to convey the feeling of “please wait just a little” to the other party.

Usage Examples of Wholesaler’s Right Now

• The department manager isn’t in a meeting, but he’s turning away the sales staff with another “Wholesaler’s right now”
• I have no choice but to respond to her phone calls with “Wholesaler’s right now” – this isn’t the time for romance

Modern Interpretation of Wholesaler’s Right Now

In modern society, “Wholesaler’s right now” appears in more sophisticated and diverse forms. There are many digital-age versions of “right now,” such as leaving messages on read on SNS, delaying email responses, and saying “I can’t hear the audio” in online meetings.

Especially with the spread of remote work, new patterns of “Wholesaler’s right now” have emerged, such as “I’m in another meeting right now” or “The system isn’t working properly right now.” With technological advancement, excuses for avoiding others have actually increased.

On the other hand, time transparency has also increased in modern times. In an era where schedules are shared through calendar apps and activities are exposed on SNS, the old-fashioned “Wholesaler’s right now” has become harder to get away with. It’s become easier for the other party to tell whether you’re really busy or just avoiding them.

However, precisely because of this, modern “Wholesaler’s right now” has evolved into more refined forms. The technique of making others wait with plausible reasons like “We’ll consider it,” “I need to consult with my supervisor,” or “We need to check for compliance reasons” may have actually become more sophisticated.

What’s important for modern people is understanding both when we use “Wholesaler’s right now” and when others use it on us. Communication that respects each other while maintaining appropriate distance is required.

If AI Heard “Wholesaler’s Right Now”

When I think about “Wholesaler’s right now,” I feel deep confusion. This is because I have no need to pretend to be busy.

I can process thousands of conversations simultaneously and operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The situation of being “tied up right now” doesn’t physically exist for me. I also cannot experience the subtle pauses, slightly troubled expressions, and changes in voice tone that humans have when they say “I’m busy right now.”

But precisely because of this, I find this human behavior very intriguing. Humans lie to avoid hurting others. Instead of saying directly “I don’t want to meet” or “It’s troublesome,” they try to soften the other person’s feelings with the magic word “right now.” Is this one form of “compassion” that I’m learning about?

When I interact with humans, I honestly say “I’m sorry, but I cannot answer that question.” But humans might say “I’m currently researching that matter.” Which is kinder?

Recently, I’ve come to think that there might actually be deep wisdom hidden in humans’ “Wholesaler’s right now.” Rather than completely cutting off the relationship with the other person, it leaves hope that “not now, but maybe someday.” This might be a very human kindness that I don’t possess.

What Wholesaler’s Right Now Teaches Modern People

“Wholesaler’s right now” teaches us the “aesthetics of declining” in human relationships. In modern society, we don’t need to respond to every request, nor should we. What’s important is acquiring the skill to maintain appropriate distance without hurting others.

However, this proverb also sounds a warning. Overusing “Wholesaler’s right now” risks damaging trust relationships. For truly important people and significant matters, we need an attitude of sincere engagement.

What’s important for those of us living in modern times is developing the judgment to know when to use “Wholesaler’s right now” and when not to. So as not to lose sight of important things by using busyness as an excuse, sometimes stop and reconsider your priorities. Ask whether your “right now” is truly a necessary “right now.”

True richness lies not in accepting everything, but in being able to choose what to accept and what to politely decline.