プログレッシブ和英中辞典(第4版)の解説
へた【下手】
❶〔技術がまずい様子〕lack of skill
下手な unskillful，《英》 unskilful; poor, bad ((at))
下手な大工
an unskilled carpenter
下手な弁解
a poor excuse
私は裁縫が下手だ
I'm poor [not much good] at sewing.
彼女は料理が実に下手だ
She is a terrible [very poor] cook.
下手の横好きで絵を描いています
I like to paint pictures, though I'm not very good at it.
下手な鉄砲も数打ちゃ当たる
Even a poor shot will hit the mark (eventually) if he tries often enough.
下手の長談義
They speak much who cannot speak well.／((諺)) Brevity is the soul of wit.
下手の[な]考え休むに似たり
It is a waste of time to think a matter over when one has no good ideas.
❷〔不用意な様子〕
警察が下手をして犯人を取り逃がした
The police 「made a bad job of it [《口》 botched it up] and let the culprit get away.
彼が下手に口出しをしたので台なしになった
He poked his nose into it, so now everything is messed up.
下手すると元金までなくすよ
You'll lose the principal, too, if you're not careful.
下手すると彼に会えないかもしれない
If we're unlucky, we may miss him.
彼に下手なことは言えない
We must be diplomatic [careful] when we speak to him.
❸〔程度が劣る様子〕
彼の蔵書は下手な図書館よりよっぽど多い
He has a much larger collection of books than some small libraries.
したて【下手】
❶〔しもて〕a lower place [position]
❷〔相撲で〕
下手でまわしを取る
grasp one's opponent's belt from underneath his arm；get an underarm grip on one's opponent's belt
下手に出る
be modest [self-effacing, unassuming]; take a modest approach; adopt an unassuming attitude
下手に出ていればいい気になって
I try to be nice, and you take advantage of me!
下手投げ
❶〔相撲で〕a shitatenage, an underarm throw
下手投げで勝つ
win by an underarm throw
❷〔野球で〕underhand pitching, an underarm [a submarine] delivery
下手投げの投手
an underhand pitcher
ボールを下手投げで投げる
pitch underhand
しもて【下手】
❶〔下方〕the lower part
川の下手に小さい橋がある
There is a small bridge further down the river.
❷〔舞台の〕the right of the stage; the stage right
王，下手から登場［退場］
〔卜書〕Enter [Exit] King at right [stage right].（▼英語では舞台上の役者から見て右という）