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 (someone serving as an example), to learn from someone's example, to boil the dirt under (someone's) fingernails and drink it.

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
　
つ
　
め
　
の
あか
垢
　
を
せん
煎
　
じ
　
て
の
飲
　
む
 つめの垢を煎じて飲む つめのあかをせんじてのむ
つめ
爪
　
の
　
あ
　
か
　
を
せん
煎
　
じ
　
て
の
飲
　
む
 爪のあかを煎じて飲む つめのあかをせんじてのむ

Contained Kanji Breakdown

claw, nail, talon
つめ　つま-　ソウ (Late High School)
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 (Late High School)
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　ニチ　にっ (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