Japanese is to nosebleeds is English is to ?

[russell.kramer]

In Japanese media such anime and manga characters frequently have nosebleeds when aroused. This comes from a japanese wive's tale about nose bleeds being caused by arousal, but outside of Japan we don't have this context so nose bleeds don't make much sense.

I am wondering if there is something in western culture which confuses foreigners in the same way that nosebleeds confuse people outside of Japan. I've tried really hard to think of something and failed, but that could just be because its hard to mentally remove myself from my own culture. Can anyone think of something seen in western media that would confuse the rest of the world but seems normal to us?

 

[Gruthar]

I dunno... maybe the reduction of men to a howling wolf in the presence of a sexy woman in some of the old Looney Tunes cartoons. Do they still do that nowadays?

 

[SharPhoe]

I'm relatively sure that's what cat-calls or innocent looking arousal innuendo is supposed to encompass.

 

[Del-Toro]

I dunno... maybe the reduction of men to a howling wolf in the presence of a sexy woman in some of the old Looney Tunes cartoons. Do they still do that nowadays?

Actually yeah that's a really good comparison, how did I not see that earlier, I used to love looney tunes.

 

[MMMATT]

The cat-call?

EDIT: Sorry bout that, Sharphoe - your post wasn't there when I sent mine - great minds think alike?

 

[Avatar Roku]

Things like, say, Buzz's wings suddenly popping out when he's kissed on the cheek in Toy Story 2. And yeah, weird example, but I got it from TVTropes [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Ptitle2s6v9yii?from=Main.DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything].

 

[Altorin]

there isn't a clear comparison.

it's not like japanese people actually get nosebleeds from arousal - they have the same symptoms as everyone else.. mainly hot skin, dilated pupils, and sweaty hands.

then a japanese axiom comes into play.. english don't have the axiom or old wives tale, so there is no equivalent.

 

[black lincon]

I've always wondered exactly why the Japanese relate nose bleeds to arousal, the more you know I guess.

I guess, cat calls maybe, or stupid euphemisms (I'd rotate her tires! Woooo!).

 

[yeah_so_no]

Actually, I'm pretty sure the wolf thing makes sense, since there's an expression of "escorting wolf" in Japanese, which is where a guy pretends he's being chivalrous in offering to escort a woman home, when in reality he's planning to sleep with her. So the idea of a wolf drooling over a woman might not seem so strange.

And as an aside, I taught in a junior high school in Japan for two years, and HOOBOY the comments that got made any time a boy in class randomly got a nosebleed. Even the teachers would join in on the ribbing, saying things like, "Sooo, just what are YOU thinking about, hmmmmm?"

And on topic, I would say Christianity in general. There's a hilarious amount of not-getting-it.

 

[NeutralDrow]

I've always wondered exactly why the Japanese relate nose bleeds to arousal, the more you know I guess.

I always thought it was more a stand-in for...er...other emitted fluids.

 

[black lincon]

I've always wondered exactly why the Japanese relate nose bleeds to arousal, the more you know I guess.

I always thought it was more a stand-in for...er...other emitted fluids.

I always thought it was a physical diversion of blood. Like they willed the blood to go somewhere other than there... eh hem, you know.

 

[Ninonybox_v1legacy]

I dunno... maybe the reduction of men to a howling wolf in the presence of a sexy woman in some of the old Looney Tunes cartoons. Do they still do that nowadays?

actually yes, just last week a man i know met a nice supermodel....all he wants to do now is chase that damn roadrunner....poor guy.

 

[Syntax Error]

I've always wondered exactly why the Japanese relate nose bleeds to arousal, the more you know I guess.

I always thought it was more a stand-in for...er...other emitted fluids.

I always thought it was a physical diversion of blood. Like they willed the blood to go somewhere other than there... eh hem, you know.

Like a play on blood rushing to the head.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

uh... boners

 

[Altorin]

I've always wondered exactly why the Japanese relate nose bleeds to arousal, the more you know I guess.

I always thought it was more a stand-in for...er...other emitted fluids.

I always thought it was a physical diversion of blood. Like they willed the blood to go somewhere other than there... eh hem, you know.

Like a play on blood rushing to the head.

That's probably the basis for the myth.

 

[jamesworkshop]

nodebleeds are just symbolic for ejaculating

 

[Syntax Error]

I've always wondered exactly why the Japanese relate nose bleeds to arousal, the more you know I guess.

I always thought it was more a stand-in for...er...other emitted fluids.

I always thought it was a physical diversion of blood. Like they willed the blood to go somewhere other than there... eh hem, you know.

Like a play on blood rushing to the head.

That's probably the basis for the myth.

There's a double meaning to that statement.

Spoiler

See what I did there?

 

[DC_Josh]

I would venture a guess to sweating.

 

[StarStruckStrumpets]

I'm relatively sure that's what cat-calls or innocent looking arousal innuendo is supposed to encompass.

WHY DO YOU ALWAYS BEAT ME TO IT?!

Grr...

XD