white shirt

“Waishatsu” is a Japanese word derived from the English term “white shirt,” which was adapted phonetically into Japanese. From the late 19th to the early 20th century, white shirts were commonly worn in formal settings, and the name was brought to Japan largely as-is, becoming “waishatsu.” Today, regardless of color, shirts worn under suits are often collectively called “waishatsu,” but originally the term referred specifically to white shirts.

ticket bill of exchange

In fact, the Japanese word kitte (postage stamp) is an abbreviation of kirifu-tegata. When the postal system was introduced in the early Meiji era, the proof of payment that was issued was called kirifu-tegata, and this was later shortened to kitte. While today everyone uses the term as a matter of course, it originally retained the nuance of a ticket for admission, like a kippu. The formal origin and development of the small piece of paper affixed to mail is knowledge we don’t usually think about in everyday life.

omnibus

The formal name of the vehicle “bus” is “omnibus.” In Latin, it means “for everyone,” and it originally referred to a horse-drawn carriage that many people could ride together. It developed during the Industrial Revolution in countries like Britain and France and was introduced to Japan in the late 19th century. Because the word was long, it gradually came to be abbreviated as “bus,” and today it is used in various forms such as route buses and tour buses.

Commercial message

CM is an abbreviation of the English term “Commercial Message.” In Japan, TV and radio ads are often called “CM,” but they are essentially a type of advertisement or promotion—messages created to inform viewers about companies, products, or services. In English-speaking countries, they are referred to as “commercials,” typically meaning short ads aired during breaks in television broadcasts.

Social networking service

SNS stands for “Social Networking Service,” which in Japanese means a web service for creating social connections. Well-known SNS platforms include Instagram, Twitter (X), and LINE. Using the internet, you can keep in touch with acquaintances, connect with people who share your hobbies, and share photos and information. In recent years, SNS has also become indispensable in daily life for receiving news and communicating during disasters.

smartphone

The word “sumaho” is an abbreviation of “smartphone.” A smartphone is a mobile phone that, in addition to calling functions, has many features like a computer, such as browsing the internet, email, and using applications. They spread rapidly from the late 2000s and have become indispensable in daily life. “Smart holder” and “smart home” are real terms, but they are not used as abbreviations for “sumaho.”

overwhelmingly on top

“Dantotsu” originally abbreviates “danzentop” (decisively top). In the late 1950s (the Showa 30s), it began to be used when evaluating things like automobile performance to mean “overwhelmingly number one compared to others.” The expression spread into general usage, and today it is also used to describe situations where something “stands out from the crowd” or is “exceptionally superior.” For example, you might say, “He was dantotsu in first place.”