11479


 **In chapter 709 of One Piece** , Bartolomeo has been seen blocking
Elizabello II's king punch with his barrier, while shouting "Barrier". In the
translator's comment it stated that this is a _common taunt in Japanese school
yards_. Now how does this taunt work? How would I use it if I were in a
Japanese school yard?

[![enter image description
here!](https://i.stack.imgur.com/T3uOim.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/T3uOi.png)


CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-25T22:21:55.520
11477
2015-04-05T04:02:14.110
6166
question
one-piece culture
How does the barrier taunt work?


[According to 日本語俗語辞書 ("Japanese Slang Dictionary")](http://zokugo-
dict.com/26ha/baria.htm):

> **バリア** とは、子供が汚い物や人に触れたときに囃して遊ぶときの言葉。  
>  **Barrier** is a word that children say jeeringly when they touch an object
> or person that is unclean.

According to the explanation further down on the page: children say this to
someone who has touched something unclean to stop the uncleanness from
"spreading".

As an example, consider a child who has stepped in dog feces. Having done so,
the child will try to chase his friends around (and touch them with his hands
like in a game of tag, not with his feet to literally get the dog feces on his
friends). If, however, all his friends say "barrier" and trace out some sort
of pattern with their hands, the child who stepped in the dog feces will have
no choice but to abandon the chase (and remain "it", which I suppose is
humiliating to any child).

The dictionary seems to think that this was based on people imitating
Ultraman. Seems plausible, I guess.

For an example of someone barrier-ing, the interested reader might like to
have a look at episode 5 of Oregairu, around the 6:15 mark.

* * *

Note: Since I have never been on a Japanese schoolyard, this answer relies
entirely on secondhand sources. An answer from someone who has been a kid in
Japan would probably be superior.


CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-26T00:10:20.477
11479
2015-04-05T04:02:14.110
2015-04-05T04:02:14.110
1908
1908
11477
answer