伸るか反るか

Japanese

Kanji in this term
伸	反
の Grade: S	そ Grade: 3
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
乗るか反るか (proscribed)

Etymology

Compound of 伸る +‎ か +‎ 反る +‎ か

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) のる​か・そ​るか [nòrúꜜ kà | sóꜜrù kà] (Nakadaka + Atamadaka – [2]-[1])

• (Tokyo) のるかそるか [nòrú ká sóꜜrù kà] (Nakadaka – [4])
• IPA^(key): [no̞ɾɯ̟ ka̠ so̞ɾɯ̟ ka̠]

Phrase

伸(の)るか反(そ)るか • (noru ka soru ka) 

1. (idiomatic) make or break, win or lose, sink or swim, all or nothing, go big or go home
   • 1917, 田山録弥, 小説新論‎^[1], 青空文庫:

     『 […] 出来(でき)るか出来(でき)ないか、のるかそるか、自分(じぶん)の一生(いつしやう)を棒(ばう)に振(ふ)るかも知(し)れないが、兎(と)に角(かく)やつて見(み)やう』かう言(い)つて机(つくえ)にかじりつくやうにして本(ほん)を読(よ)んだり筆(ふで)を執(と)つたりして来(き)た。

     “ […] Dekiru ka dekinai ka, noru ka soru ka, jibun no isshō o bō ni furu ka mo shirenai ga, tonikaku yatte miyō” kō itte tsukue ni kajiritsuku yō ni shite hon o yondari fude o tottari shite kita.

     “ […] Whether I can do it or not, sink or swim, I might ruin my own life, but I’m going to try anyway.” That is what I said to myself, and then I glued myself to my desk and read books and took up my pen.