Obi ni Mijikashi Tasuki ni Nagashi (帯に短し襷に長し - Too Much for One and not Enough for One)

Obi ni Mijikashi Tasuki ni Nagashi

There is the Japanese proverb 'obi ni mijikasji tasuki ni nagashi,' which represents things that are lukewarm and useless.

'Obi' (帯) means "belt" used in a kimono (着物 - traditional Japanese clothes), 'mijikasi' (短し) means "short," 'tasuki' (襷) means "cord" used to tuck up the sleeves of a kimono, and 'nagashi' (長し) means "long."

This proverb refers to a fabric material.

That is to say, it means that the fabric material has a lukewarm length -- it is too short to use as obi, whereas it is too long to use as tasuki.

帯に短し襷に長し

中途半端で何の役にも立たないものを表すことわざに、「帯に短し襷に長し」があります。

「帯」は "belt," 「短し」は "short," 「襷」は "cord," 「長し」は "long" を意味します。

このことわざは、ある布生地のことを指しています。

すなわち、和服の帯としては短すぎて使えず、和服の袖をたくし上げるための襷としては長すぎて使えないという、中途半端な長さを持った布生地というわけです。