帯に短し襷に長し（Short for a belt, long for a sash）

帯に短し襷に長しとは？

「帯に短し襷に長し（おびにみじかしたすきにながし）」とは、「どっちつかずで中途半端、どちらの用途にも合わず役に立たない」 という意味のことわざです。

帯も襷（たすき）も、和服に関連する装飾品ですが、
帯（おび） → 和服を着る際に腰に巻くもの
襷（たすき） → 袖が邪魔にならないように肩にかけて結ぶひも
つまり、帯にするには短すぎ、襷にするには長すぎるため、どちらにも使えない というところから生まれた表現です。

「帯に短し襷に長し」の意味と使い方

意味

どちらの用途にも適さず、中途半端で使い道がない
何かを選ぶ際に、どれも決め手に欠けてしっくりこない
どっちつかずで、役に立たない状態

使い方

「このカバン、旅行用には小さいし、普段使いには大きすぎる。帯に短し襷に長しだね。」
「この椅子、デスク用にしては低いし、リラックスするには高すぎる。帯に短し襷に長しで困るな。」
「この案、予算的には安いけどデザインが悪いし、高い方は良いけど予算オーバー…帯に短し襷に長しだな。」

「帯に短し襷に長し」の由来と背景

このことわざは、江戸時代から使われていた日本の古い表現 です。
当時は、帯や襷（たすき）は日常的に使われるものであり、長さが合わなければ全く役に立たない ということがよく知られていました。

そこから、「何を選んでも中途半端で、結局どれも役に立たない」という意味で使われるようになりました。

「帯に短し襷に長し」の現代的な活用

昔は衣類に関することだったが、現代ではさまざまな場面で使われていました。

✅ビジネスの場面
「この人材、経験はあるけど若さが足りないし、若手は経験不足…帯に短し襷に長しだな。」
「このプラン、コストは安いけど機能が少ないし、高機能プランは予算オーバーで帯に短し襷に長しだ。」
✅生活の場面
「ワンルームだと狭すぎるし、2LDKだと広すぎる。帯に短し襷に長しでなかなか決まらない。」
「この服、フォーマルにはカジュアルすぎるし、普段着にはフォーマルすぎる。帯に短し襷に長しだな。」
✅買い物や商品選び
「スマホを買い替えたいけど、高性能モデルは高すぎるし、安いのは機能が物足りない。帯に短し襷に長しだね。」
「新車を探しているけど、燃費がいい車はパワーが弱いし、パワーのある車は燃費が悪い。帯に短し襷に長しで決められない。」

「帯に短し襷に長し」と対になることわざ

「弘法筆を選ばず」 → 名人なら道具に関係なく上手く使いこなせる
「二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず」 → 欲張りすぎると、結局何も得られない
「器用貧乏」 → 色々できるけど、どれも中途半端で突出したものがない

「帯に短し襷に長し」から学ぶ教訓

どんな選択肢も完璧ではないことを理解する
こだわりすぎると、結局何も選べなくなる
中途半端なものを選ぶより、別の視点で最適な選択肢を探すべき

Obi ni tanshi suduki ni nagashi (short on the belt, long on the sleeve) is a Japanese proverb meaning “halfway between the two, useless for either purpose.

Both obi and tasuki are ornaments associated with kimono,
Obi (sash): an obi worn around the waist when wearing kimono
Tasuki (sash): a string tied over the shoulder to keep the sleeves out of the way
The term “tasuki” is derived from the fact that an obi is too short to be used as an obi and a tasuki is too long to be used as a tasuki, and thus cannot be used as both.

Meaning and usage of “short for obi, long for tasuki
Meaning
Not suitable for either use, halfway and of no use.
When choosing something, none of the choices are decisive and do not fit well together.
It is a state of being useless because you are stuck with neither one nor the other.

How to use
This bag is too small for travel and too big for daily use. It is too small for travel and too big for daily use.
This chair is too low for desk use and too high for relaxing. It’s too low for a desk chair and too high for relaxing.
This idea is budget-friendly but badly designed, and the expensive one is good but over budget… Short on the belt, long on the sleeve.

Origin and Background of “short on the belt, long on the sleeve
This proverb is an old Japanese expression that has been used since the Edo period (1603-1868).
At that time, it was well known that an obi (sash) or a tasuki (sash) was used in daily life, and that if they were not the right length, they were of no use at all.

The expression came to mean, “No matter what you choose, it is halfway, and in the end, none of it will be useful.

Modern use of “short on the belt, long on the sleeve”
In the past, it was related to clothing, but in modern times it was used in a variety of situations.

✅ Business situations
This person has experience but lacks youth, and the younger person is inexperienced…the belt is too short and the sleeve is too long.”
The plan costs less but has fewer features, and the high-functionality plan is over budget.
✅Life Situations
A studio is too small and a 2LDK is too spacious. It’s hard to decide which one is right for you.
This dress is too casual for formal wear and too formal for everyday wear. It’s too short for a belt and too long for a sleeve.
✅Shopping and choosing products
I want to buy a new smartphone, but the high-performance models are too expensive and the cheap ones don’t have enough functions. The shortest is for the belt and the longest is for the sleeve.
I’m looking for a new car, but a car with good fuel economy has little power, and a car with power has poor fuel economy. I can’t decide which one is best for me.

The opposite of “too short for the belt, too long for the sleeve” is a saying that goes like this
A master craftsman knows how to use his tools well, regardless of the tools he uses.
He who runs after two hares will catch neither” → If you are too greedy, you will get nothing in the end.
A person who can do many things, but none of them are outstanding.

Lessons learned from “short on the belt, long on the sleeve
Understand that no choice is perfect
If you are too particular, you will end up not being able to choose anything
Instead of choosing something half-baked, we should look for the best option from a different perspective

AIが描いた「帯に短し襷に長し」