169Japanese idiom 四字熟語
乗りかかった船
のりかかったふねNorikakatta fune
“The boat already boarded.”
The meaning
Once aboard, you do not get off mid-river. What you started with others binds you: seeing the crossing through is a matter of word as much as courage.
At the origin
A common expression for commitments honored to the end.
The characters
In practice
The current commitment that wearies you: bring it to port before changing.