What's the story behind 小間物屋を開く = to vomit?


[jisho.org
defines](https://jisho.org/word/%E5%B0%8F%E9%96%93%E7%89%A9%E5%B1%8B%E3%82%92%E9%96%8B%E3%81%8F)
[小]{こ}[間]{ま}[物]{もの}[屋]{や}を[開]{ひら}く as "to vomit", "to spew". What's the story
behind this funny term? How would you express it in English?




As the link in the comment indicates 小間物屋 is a vendor who sells a lot of
things like cosmetics, everyday goods, etc. They often displays their goods in
very spread out manner on a cloth (風呂敷). You can visualize it like thus:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/dMMNS.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/dMMNS.png)

The expression 小間物屋を開く is a euphemism for puking out so much stuff that it's
like you are opening a 小間物屋 and displaying a wide variety of goods. In
particular if you are puking out partially digested foods, it would have a
particular similarity to goods on display. This expression is also sometimes
used as デパートを開く or 八百屋を開く as well as 小間物屋を広げる and 小間物屋を出す, but I think in
general this expression and its variants are not very well known/used.

The closest English expression I can think of is **_puking out your guts_**.

Sources:

  * 隠語大辞典 
    * <https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E5%B0%8F%E9%96%93%E7%89%A9%E5%B1%8B>
    * <https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E5%B0%8F%E9%96%93%E7%89%A9%E5%BA%97%E3%82%92%E9%96%8B%E3%81%8F>
  * <https://imidas.jp/idiom/detail/X-05-X-10-7-0003.html>
  * <https://www.waraerujd.com/blank-830>
  * Image: <https://www.benricho.org/Unchiku/edo-syokunin/01jinrinkinmo/13.html>




As the link in the comment indicates 小間物屋 is a vendor who sells a lot of
things like cosmetics, everyday goods, etc. They often displays their goods in
very spread out manner on a cloth (風呂敷). You can visualize it like thus:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/dMMNS.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/dMMNS.png)

The expression 小間物屋を開く is a euphemism for puking out so much stuff that it's
like you are opening a 小間物屋 and displaying a wide variety of goods. In
particular if you are puking out partially digested foods, it would have a
particular similarity to goods on display. This expression is also sometimes
used as デパートを開く or 八百屋を開く as well as 小間物屋を広げる and 小間物屋を出す, but I think in
general this expression and its variants are not very well known/used.

The closest English expression I can think of is **_puking out your guts_**.

Sources:

  * 隠語大辞典 
    * <https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E5%B0%8F%E9%96%93%E7%89%A9%E5%B1%8B>
    * <https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E5%B0%8F%E9%96%93%E7%89%A9%E5%BA%97%E3%82%92%E9%96%8B%E3%81%8F>
  * <https://imidas.jp/idiom/detail/X-05-X-10-7-0003.html>
  * <https://www.waraerujd.com/blank-830>
  * Image: <https://www.benricho.org/Unchiku/edo-syokunin/01jinrinkinmo/13.html>

