メンチを切る

Phrase composed of メンチ (menchi, various possible derivations; see below) + を (o, object particle) + 切る (kiru, “to cut something, to cut across something, to break something; to do something boldly”).

Unknown derivation. メンチ (menchi) on its own generally means mince, as in mincemeat, ground meat.[1][2] That does not fit this idiom, however.

One explanation is that メンチ (menchi) is an alteration of メンタ, as found in the synonymous Kansai expression メンタを切る (menta o kiru). In this, menta is an alteration of 目の玉 (me no tama, “eyeball”): /me no tama/ → /mentama/ → /menta/. The standard term 目玉 (medama, “eyeball”) is also used metaphorically to mean a glare, a stare; a scolding; compare English hairy eyeball, to eye. In this case, the phrase could be parsed as: menta o kiru → “to boldly eyeball someone” → “to glare in challenge”.

Phonetically, however, there is no clear mechanism for メンタ (menta) to change into メンチ (menchi). A more likely phonetic origin might be 面子 (mentsu, “face, honor”). In this case, the phrase could be parsed as: menchi o kiru → “to cut / break someone else's honor” → “to glare in challenge”.

The derivation may be a combination of the above, where menta may have been influenced by mentsu to become menchi.

• IPA^(key): [mẽ̞ɴt͡ɕi o̞ kiɾ̠ɯᵝ]

• メンチ切る (​menchi kiru)

メンチを切る (hiragana and katakana メンチをきる, rōmaji menchi o kiru)

1. (Kansai, slang) to stare or glare in challenge; by extension, to pick a fight
   • 2011 September 19, “Chankā Fes Shūryō! [Champion Carnival Fest finished!]”, in PROUD HAMMERS‎:

     ステージ上 (うえ)で"何 (なに)メンチきってねん"セリフ言 (い)わせて頂 (いただ)きました（笑 (わら)）

     Sutēji ue de "nani menchikitte-nen" serifu iwasete itadakimashita (wara)

     From the stage, he addressed his remarks to us, "What are you staring at!" (LOL)

   • 2013, All About, Inc., editors, Garyū Shingo Taiho / Taima Osen wa Naze Tsuzuku [Shingo Garyū Arrest: Why Does Marijuana Pollution Continue?]‎:

     我 (が)龍 (りゅう)はM1ミドル級 (きゅう)王 (おう)者 (じゃ)のスタイルを保 (ほ)持 (じ)（逮捕後 (たいほご)の27日 (にじゅうしち)に返上 (ちにへんじょう)）、K1MAXを始 (はじ)めキック各団体 (かくだんたい)に参 (さん)戦 (せん)。元暴走族 (もとぼうそうぞく)という“前歴 (ぜんれき)”を売 (う)りに、金髪 (きんぱつ)に染 (そ)めたヘアスタイルに、特攻服 (とっこうふく)のヤンキースタイルで入 (にゅう)場 (じょう)、対戦前 (たいせんぜん)には相手 (あいて)にメンチを切 (き)る（にらみ合 (あ)う）という不 (ふ)良 (りょう)パフォーマンスで人 (にん)気 (き)を博 (はく)した名物選手 (めいぶつせんしゅ)。

     Garyū wa M-1 midoru-kyū ōja no sutairu o hoji (taiho go no nijū-shichi nichi ni henjō), K-1MAX o hajime kikku kakudantai ni sansen. Moto bōsōzoku to iu “zenreki” o uri ni, kinpatsu ni someta hea sutairu ni, tokkōfuku no yankī sutairu de nyūjō, taisen zen ni wa aite ni menchi o kiru (nirami au) to iu furyō pafōmansu de ninki o hakushita meibutsu senshu.

     Garyū styled himself as the king of middle-weight M-1 (returning on the 27th [the day] after his arrest), and competed in K-1 MAX and the other kickboxing leagues. He was a famous competitor who gained popularity for his bad-boy performance, playing up his "past history" as a former biker gang member, with his hair dyed blond, coming into the ring wearing his gang regalia, and glaring a challenge out into the crowd before a match.

• (Kansai) メンタを切る (​menta o kiru)
• (Kantō) 眼を付ける (​gan o tsukeru)
• (Kantō) 眼を飛ばす (​gan o tobasu)
• (Kantō) 眼を垂れる (​gan o tareru)

• Japanese Slang Dictionary (in Japanese): entry for menchi kiru
• Japanese Slang Dictionary (in Japanese): entry for menta kiru