enryo
n.— «One concept that enters into Japanese social interactions a lot is “enryo” (EN-ryoh), which means to exercise restraint or to defer to others.» —by Dave Marquis Japanish (Minneapolis, Minn.) May 14, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Following our conversation about the secret cup code of the old Harvey House restaurant chain, a listener in Minneapolis, Minnesota, shares a far more complicated and efficient restaurant code, the elaborate plate marking system used at Waffle House...
In Japan, if you want to order a corndog, you ask for an Amerikan doggu (アメリカンドッグ). These types of coinages are called wasei-eigo, or “Japanese-made English,” and there are lots of them. Plus, there’s an atmospheric optical...