GRAMMAR DETAIL
〜をいいことに
Criticizes taking advantage of a situation, such as a lack of supervision or another person's inability to object, for one's own benefit.
Examples
監督する人がいないのをいいことに、一部の利用者が規則を破っていた。
Taking advantage of the absence of anyone supervising them, some users were breaking the rules.
Words used
忙しさをいいことに、返事を先延ばしにした。
I used being busy as an excuse to put off replying.
Words used
Study notes
1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning
- Structure: Attach
をいいことにto a noun or nominalized clause describing an exploitable situation to criticize using it for one's own convenience. - Basic usage:
忙しさをいいことに、返事を先延ばしにした。critically describes using busyness as an excuse to postpone replying.
2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions
- のを after a clause
忙しさをいいことにtakes a noun.監督する人がいないのをいいことにnominalizes the clause about no one supervising withのbefore connecting it toを.
- Not praise for a good deed
いいrefers to an opening convenient for the person taking advantage of it. In this construction, the speaker criticizes the behavior exploiting that opening.