My question is about the expression "身もふたもないこと".
I know that "身もふたもない" means blunt or point-blank, but is there any additional connotation such as "stupid" or "silly"?
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Sign up to join this communityMy question is about the expression "身もふたもないこと".
I know that "身もふたもない" means blunt or point-blank, but is there any additional connotation such as "stupid" or "silly"?
"Blunt" is one of the possible translations of 身も蓋もない, but it is more nuanced than that. This is a set phrase that carries the meaning like "it's indeed correct, but if you say that, it spoils the meaning of this discussion", "it's too outspoken and it makes it hard to continue this conversation", "true, but don't go there now", etc. It never simply means "silly" or "stupid".
Examples of 身も蓋もない responses:
As you can see in the second and fourth examples, a 身も蓋もない statement itself does not have to be about a bad thing. The important connotation is "Oh don't say that now (even if it's correct)".