To Strangle
transitive verb, ichidan verb
The kanji means strangle and this vocab is the verb version of that: to strangle. It’s usually used in the phrase 首を絞める, which also means “to strangle.”
There is another word, 絞る which means "to wring out" that looks very similar. You know that this one is "to strangle" because it has める sticking out of it. Imagine that in the mail (める) you get a letter that says "I'm going to strangle you!" When you get this in the mail, you know it's about strangling.
The thing that is threatening to strangle you is actually a sheep (し)! The sheep comes to your house and says, "here's the sheep mail!" and then tries to strangle you. It puts its hard feet on your neck though it's pretty ineffective.
弟は羊に首を絞められた。
My younger brother was strangled by a sheep.
後から見れば、結局、自分で自分の首を絞めるようなシチュエーションを作ってたんだよね。
In retrospect, I was basically creating a situation where I was shooting myself in the foot.
生まれて初めて自分で鶏を絞めて、捌いて、食べるという経験をしました。
I had the experience of killing, butchering, and eating a chicken by myself for the first time in my life.
「真綿で首を絞める」とは、直接対峙したり攻撃したりすることなく、遠まわしに誰かをじわじわと責めたり、痛めつけたりすることのたとえです。
"Strangling someone with floss silk” is a metaphor for subtly and slowly criticizing or tormenting someone, without directly confronting or attacking them.