EDICT yabai (Was Re: $B!VE,Ev$J$3$H8@(B$B$&$J!W(B

From: Paul Blay (ranma_at_saotome.demon.co.uk)
Date: 10/12/04 

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 11:40:18 +0100

"$B#S#r#i#n!&#T#u#a#r(B" wrote ...
>
> In this phrase:
>
> $B!VE,Ev$J$3$H8@$&$J!W(B
>
> I find it sortof interesting how the meaning of $BE,Ev(B just
> flips around based upon its context.
>
> Does anyone know of any other words which can also mean their
> antonyms, offhand?

Another 'non-antonym' but with considerably different meaning to
usual / original.

Taken from http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread.php?p=135198#post135198
(give or take a post)

Short version. $B$d$P$$(B as 'wicked cool'.

===============

Originally Posted by jt_
$B#66JL\$,$d$P$a!#(B

My first inclination was that this might actually be "yabai" used in a positive sense,
like for example (the following all pulled randomly from sites found with Google):

$B!V(BStray Cats strut$B!W!JK.Bj5$<h$j20%-%c%C%H!K$C$F6J$,$9$4$$5$$KF~$j$^$7$?!#$3$N6J$O$d(B
$B$P$$$G$9!"%.%?!<$,$+$C$3(B $BNI$9$.$G$9!#$3$s$JIw$K%.%?!<CF$1$k$h$&$K$J$j$?$$!#(B

$B$J$+$G$b(BBUMP$B$r$h$/D0$$$F$^$9!#(B $B$"$l$O2N;l$,$d$P$$!#$b$A$m$s2;$b$($($s$d$1$I!#(B

$B!V2N;l$,!D2N;l$,$d$P$$!!$[$s$HBg9%$-$G$9!W(B

$B2;$,%6%/%6%/!#$d$P$$$G$9!"$3$N6J$O$d$P$$$G$9!#:G9b$H$7$+8@$($J$$!#%F%s%7%g%s$+$J(B
$B$j$"$,$j$^$9!*(B184 5$B!*(B

I'm not sure how to best render this sense of "yabai" in English, but I guess it could
be close to something like "(This song/these lyrics) (is/are) just too much!", which
could have either a positive or negative meaning depending on the context. In this
context, the rest of the review (albeit a short one) is overwhelmingly positive (and
also the fact that he laments the lyrics not being included, which makes me wonder if
he could understand the lyrics to the point of being able to comment on their
obscenity or lack thereof) which makes me suspect it's closer to the above examples.

Here's Daijirin on "yabai", with a surprisingly relevant example:

Quote:
$B$d$P$$(B

$B!L!V$d$P!W$N7AMF;l2=!#$b$H!$Ep?M!&9a6q;U(B($B$d$7(B)$B$J$I$N1#8l!M(B
($B#1(B)$B?H$K4m81$,Gw$k$5$^!#$"$V$J$$!#!V!=!&$$$>!$F($2$m!W(B
($B#2(B)$BITET9g$,M=A[$5$l$k!#!V$3$N@.@S$G$O!=!&$$$J!W(B
($B#3(B)$B<c<T8@MU$G!$$9$4$$!#<+?H$N?4>p$,!$$R$I$/MI$5$V$i$l$F$$$kMM;R$K$D$$$F$$$&!#(B
$B!V3J9%NI$$!W$r0UL#$9(B $B$k9NDjE*$JJ8L.$+$i!$!V:$$C$?!W$r0UL#$9$kH]DjE*J8L.$^$G!$(B
$B9-$/MQ$$$i$l$k!#!V$3$N6J!$!=!&$$!J!a3J9%NI$$(B $B!K$h!W(B

But I'm not a native speaker, of course, so take it for whatever it's worth.

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