穿る

I

ほじくる【穿る】

1 〔つついて穴をほる〕 dig up; grub (up); 〔つついて中のものを出す〕 pick 《one's nose, one's teeth》.

●耳をほじくる clean one's ears

・鼻くそをほじくる pick bogeys from one's nose

・地面をほじくる pick away at the ground

・中のあんだけほじくって食べる pick [dig] out only the bean jam in the middle and eat it.

2 〔執拗に探る〕 examine closely; pry into 《sb's secret》; peck [pick] at 《sb's faults》; dredge up 《sb's past》.

●重箱の隅を楊枝でほじくる split hairs.

●君はなんでもほじくって聞きたがる人だなあ. How inquisitive you are! | You always want to know too much. | You're always poking your nose into other people's business.

・ちょっとやつらをほじくってみるか. Let's see what we can find out from them. | Let's pick their brains.

II

ほじる【穿る】

＝ほじくる.