つめ
爪
　
の
あか
垢
　
を
せん
煎
　
じ
　
て
の
飲
　
む

expression, Godan verb

Idiomatic expression.
  1. to take a lesson from (a wise person), to follow in the footsteps of, to boil the dirt under (someone's) fingernails and drink it (so that you may become like them).

Variations

Pronunciation Kanji Kana Is Common
つめ
爪
　
の
あか
垢
　
を
せん
煎
　
じ
　
て
の
飲
　
む
 爪の垢を煎じて飲む つめのあかをせんじてのむ

Contained Kanji Breakdown

claw, nail, talon
つめ　つま-　ソウ (11th)
dirt, grime, earwax
ク　あか　コウ (Kentei Pre-1)
soil, earth, ground
ド　つち　は (1st, N5)
empress, queen, after
きさき　コウ　ゴ (6th, N1)
corpse(尸) variant
one, one radical (no.1)
イチ　いっ　ひと- (1st, N5)
mouth
くち　コウ　ク (1st, N4)
broil, parch, roast
セン　せん.じる　い.る (11th)
in front, before
まえ　ゼン　さき (2nd, N5)
grass, straw, herbs
to divide
one, one radical (no.1)
イチ　いっ　ひと- (1st, N5)
cutting off feet as form of punishment
ゲツ　グチ　ゴツ
month, moon
つき　ゲツ　ガツ (1st, N5)
knife, standing sword radical (no. 18)
トウ
fire, fire radical (no. 86)
ヒョウ　カ
drink, smoke, take
の.む　イン　オン (3rd, N4)
eat, food, eat radical (no. 184)
person
ひと　ニン　ジン (1st, N5)
good, pleasing, skilled
よ.い　リョウ　ら (4th, N3)
katakana no radical (no. 4)
ヘツ　えい　よう (Kentei 1)
northeast (Oriental zodiac), stopping, good radical (no. 138)
うしとら　コン (Kentei Pre-1)
day, sun, Japan
ひ　にっ　ニチ (1st, N5)
garment, clothes, dressing
イ　ころも　きぬ (4th, N2)
kettle lid radical (no. 8)
トウ (Kentei 1)
garment(衣) variant
lack, gap, fail
ケツ　か.ける　ケン (4th, N3)
knife, wrapping enclosure(勹) variant