freeter

freeter
 n.— «Kato worked for a trading firm for about two years after he graduated from college with a major in law in 1982, but decided to quit when he realised he could take time off anytime he wanted and have larger pay cheques if he became what is known in Japan as a “freeter”. “Freeter” is a combination of the English word “free” and the Japanese word “arubaito” meaning part-time, casual or temporary work.» —“More Japan College Graduates Rebel Against Jobs For Life” by Minoru Koshida in Tokyo Reuters Sept. 22, 1989. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Further reading

Stub Your Toe (episode #1606)

Advice about college essays from the winner of a top prize for children’s literature: Kelly Barnhill encourages teens to write about experiences that are uniquely their own, from a point of view that is theirs and no one else’s. Plus, why do we say...

If Grandma Had Wheels (episode #1603)

While compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, lexicographer James Murray exchanged hundreds of letters a week with authors, advisors, and volunteer researchers. A new collection online lets you eavesdrop on discussions about which words should be...