Ever been interrupted mid-story? 😤

Have you ever been in this situation?

You're in the middle of telling a super dramatic story, the atmosphere is tense, everyone is hanging on your every word, you're about to deliver the punchline, and then... a friend suddenly cuts in:

"Oh, by the way, that reminds me..."

SNAP! 뚝! 뚝! 뚝! 뚝! 뚝! 뚝!

All the emotion, suspense, and flow of the story vanish into thin air. Both you and your listeners feel the mood plummet.

In Japanese, there's a perfect, vivid phrase to describe this exact moment.

The Tip: 話の腰を折る (hanashi no koshi o oru)

When someone interrupts your story, you can say you were: 話の腰を折られた (hanashi no koshi o orareta).

• 話 (hanashi): story
• 腰 (koshi): hip, lower back
• 折る (oru): to break, to fold

Literally, it means "to break the hip of the story". An incredibly vivid and painful image, isn't it? It implies that the story was progressing smoothly until an external force snapped it in half, making it impossible to continue.

How to use it like a native?

This phrase is very common in daily life.

1. When complaining (in a casual way):

   Friend: 「昨日さ、部長に褒められて…」 (Yesterday, the manager praised me...) You: 「あ、ごめん、話の腰を折るけど、そのネクタイどこで買ったの？」(Ah, sorry to interrupt, but where did you buy that tie?) Friend: 「もう、いいところだったのに！話の腰を折らないでよ！」(Hey, I was at the good part! Don't interrupt me!)

2. When apologizing for interrupting:

   「話の腰を折っちゃってごめんね。続けて続けて。」(Sorry for cutting you off. Please continue.)

3. The most polite way to interrupt (when you absolutely have to):

   「大変申し訳ありません。お話の腰を折るようで恐縮ですが、一つよろしいでしょうか？」 (I am terribly sorry. I hate to interrupt your conversation, but may I have a moment?)

The Key Takeaway 💡

The Japanese place great importance on the flow of conversation (会話の流れ - kaiwa no nagare). The act of 話の腰を折る is considered quite tactless, showing impatience and a lack of respect for the speaker.

Next time someone derails your story, instead of just getting silently annoyed, know that there's a perfect phrase for it. And more importantly, try not to be the "hip breaker" yourself! 😉