Literally “wrap in smoke”: the obscuring effect of smoke becomes a metaphor for confusing speech. The idiomatic reading is けむ, not けむり.
Literally “wrap in smoke”: the obscuring effect of smoke becomes a metaphor for confusing speech. The idiomatic reading is けむ, not けむり.
What does 煙に巻く mean?
To bewilder someone with talk and avoid a clear answer.
How do you read 煙に巻く?
It is read けむにまく, written kemu ni maku.
When would you use 煙に巻く?
Used for verbal evasion that leaves a listener at a loss, especially in an interview or explanation.
How is 煙に巻く different from はぐらかす?
はぐらかす is simply to dodge a question; this idiom adds the effect of confusing the listener with a flood of talk.
How does 煙に巻く change in a sentence?
A fixed verbal idiom; 巻く inflects, as in 煙に巻いた and 煙に巻こう.