Etymology of the term お局 and how it is used in slang


Can someone explain the etymology of the word お局 as well as how it is used in
modern slang? I took an educated guess as to the colloquial meaning but am
unsure of its nuances, be they comedic, insulting or otherwise....

> お局に小言を言われることにうんざりしている。
>
> I’m sick of being scolded by “otsubone.”
>
> 局: bureau; board; office; affair; conclusion; court lady; lady-in-waiting;
> her apartment;
>
> colloquial: an older single woman in a man's world/a term used to scornfully
> describe an unmarried veteran female employee [?]




The etymology is prefix o + noun tubone (局). A tubone is a "room" in a large
building. These rooms were primarly prepared for women who served at noble or
imperial residences. The term has been around since around the 14th century.

Historically, an otubone was a woman who served at the imperial court and
given a "room" (局) of her own. During the Edo period, the otubone was the one
responsible for managing the women who served in the
[大奥](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Coku).

In modern Japan, there is no longer an 大奥, and the meaning has changed to
express a woman with some power who has been working for a long time. Until
recently, women in Japan were expected to quit their jobs once they got
married, so an otubone would be assumed to be single.




The etymology is prefix o + noun tubone (局). A tubone is a "room" in a large
building. These rooms were primarly prepared for women who served at noble or
imperial residences. The term has been around since around the 14th century.

Historically, an otubone was a woman who served at the imperial court and
given a "room" (局) of her own. During the Edo period, the otubone was the one
responsible for managing the women who served in the
[大奥](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Coku).

In modern Japan, there is no longer an 大奥, and the meaning has changed to
express a woman with some power who has been working for a long time. Until
recently, women in Japan were expected to quit their jobs once they got
married, so an otubone would be assumed to be single.

