# きつね月



## Starfrown

I've recently come across Yoko Tawada's book _Kitsune-tsuki_, and I've heard that the title is supposed to have multiple interpretations.  What possibilities can you native speakers think of?


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## Flaminius

For _kitsune-tsuki_, I cannot think of any other sense than being possessed by a fox.


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## Starfrown

Flaminius said:


> For _kitsune-tsuki_, I cannot think of any other sense than being possessed by a fox.


Thanks Flamini.

The writer who suggested it had multiple meanings offered the following possible translation:

"Fox Moonlighting"

Any thoughts?


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## almostfreebird

I first knew the word "moonlighting" when I saw the movie "Taxi Driver" where personnel officer says to Travis(Robert De Niro):

"Why do you want to be a taxi driver? Do you need a second job? Are you moonlighting?"

So to me "Fox Moonlighting" sounds like a fox working at a secondary job at night illegitimately.


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## Starfrown

almostfreebird said:


> So to me "Fox Moonlighting" sounds like a fox working at a secondary job at night illegitimately.


That, or moonlighting as a fox.

I don't know.  I'm a bit puzzled about the whole thing.

Is it possible that the syllables, if parsed differently, could produce a meaningful combination.  That is:

Kitsu + netsuki

Ki+tsune+tsuki

Kitsu + netsu + ki

and so on.


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## mikun

Hi,
’きつねつき’is a 狐付き（or 憑き）,means some psyco-active fox soul has attached to some people, and make him/her mind in an abnormal status as 'mod'okidoki' has explained.  context is necessary to get detailed understanding.


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## almostfreebird

Indeed there is a book whose title is "きつね月" not "狐付き（or 憑き）":

http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=in#h...f&aqi=&aql=&oq=きつね月&pbx=1&fp=c4aa1f12f6533b08

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...きつね月&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&source=www.google.com
Yes, context or background is needed.


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## almostfreebird

Starfrown said:


> Is it possible that the syllables, if parsed differently, could produce a meaningful combination.  That is:
> 
> Kitsu + netsuki
> 
> Ki+tsune+tsuki
> 
> Kitsu + netsu + ki


Those mixtures are impossible, making no sense.


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## Starfrown

Thank you all.

Unfortunately, as I don't really know anything about the book, I have no context to give.  I was just wondering whether there was an obvious pun in the title.


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## Joyman

I like to think of puns.
Here is my pun.

さぬきうどんかめや開業50周年記念　今なら天ぷらうどんが*きつね付き*！
A big sale for Sanuki-udon;Kameya's 50th anniversay----Now we provide you Tenpura-udon with Kitune at the same price.

きつね付き
＝with きつね
＝with 油揚げ
＝with deep-flied tofu

Japanese noodle with deep-flied tofu is called きつねうどん.


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## almostfreebird

油揚げ(http://www.google.co.jp/images?hl=ja&q=%E6%B2%B9%E6%8F%9A%E3%81%92&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1244&bih=688)

"油揚げ" is also referred to as "きつね", because its color is きつね色(kitsune-iro).

きつね色 is more or less a color of Golden Retriever.

So "きつね月" can also mean "きつね色の月".
Part of the book review says "ある章では、満月の夜に僧侶が月を飲み...".

きつね色の月 might look delicious.


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