street performance in which the performer transforms a specially-made bamboo screen into various shapes while chanting an accompanying poem ➜ 南京【ナンキン】・簾【すだれ】
setting off the night before one normally would have departed, travelling in a different direction, spending the night there, and leaving for one's destination in the morning (done to avoid travelling in an unlucky direction; a common practice during the Heian period) - archaism➜ 方塞がり・方違へ所
at the very beginning of one's speech; the first thing (one) says after opening the mouth - four character idiom
会議の席で常務は、開口一番何を言ったと思う。大規模なリストラ計画を発表したんだよな。Guess what the managing director started off the meeting by saying. The first thing out of his mouth was an announcement of some major restructuring.
ジブの裏帆とラダーを使って、バックしながら船首を進みたい方向に向けました。Using the rudder and the jib with the wind behind it we backed up, turning the bow to the direction we wanted to go.