A couple of questions 「淡々」の意味と手紙の書

[Sean]

1) 淡々とした

I seen it a couple of times, and looked in up in Japanese-Japanese and Japanese-English dictionaries, but I'm not sure if I'm quite getting the right meaning or nuance of it.

The last example I saw was from an actor (藤原竜也 Tatsuya Fujiwara) taking about difficulties he with a film role (「デスノート」の夜神月役):

「わかりやすい派手なアクションがないので、月〈ライト〉を普通に演じてしまうと淡々とした芝居になって「なにスカした芝居してんの？」って思われる危険性があって。」

Phrases like 淡々とした日々 came up a lot when I was looking for other examples of it. From the quote, it doesn't really seem like it's used in a good way. But exactly what it means is still escaping me.

(On a side note, what is "スカした(芝居)" in this context?)

2) Writing letters

It's mainly what 頭語 and 結語 to use or what level of formality to use in what situations that I'm not sure on. Like if you were writing a letter to a company, what words/politeness to use (regular polite or keigo polite? skip the "how's the weather/family?" comments), would lecturers/teachers get keigo or normal politeness, what do use if you were applying for a job. I guess with informal letters to friends and so on, it wouldn't be much of an issue. But it's still something I'd like to know.

I've tried searching, and came up with sites like this one which helped get the basics of the layout down, but not things like if there's any difference in meaning between the various choices of tougo/ketsugo under "regular/polite".

[Outkast]

1.) 淡々とした日々...

I understood it to be "The everyday life will be indifferent" or in American slang, "Life goes on (indifferently)".

[Not to belittle you, but you weren't asking about the「々」part, were you? If you were, or if someone else is curious, it is used to mean a kanji has been repeated twice in a row, like 人々 (hitobito- people).]


I only currently know how to sound like a street urchin, so I can't give any advice about the second one...

[Bueller_007]

1) 淡々とした

I seen it a couple of times, and looked in up in Japanese-Japanese and Japanese-English dictionaries, but I'm not sure if I'm quite getting the right meaning or nuance of it.

The last example I saw was from an actor (藤原竜也 Tatsuya Fujiwara) taking about difficulties he with a film role (「デスノート」の夜神月役):

「わかりやすい派手なアクションがないので、月〈ライト〉を普通に演じてしまうと淡々とした芝居になって「なにスカした芝居してんの？」って思われる危険性があって。」

Phrases like 淡々とした日々 came up a lot when I was looking for other examples of it. From the quote, it doesn't really seem like it's used in a good way. But exactly what it means is still escaping me.

(On a side note, what is "スカした(芝居)" in this context?)

Don't quote me on this, but I think:
淡々とした = plain/boring/straightforward.
淡々とした芝居 = a mediocre drama, "just a drama"
淡々とした日々 = straightforward life/life not out of the ordinary

スカす is a sumo term meaning "to leave one's stable (部屋)"
So maybe スカした芝居 means "a play/drama that one has given up on"?

2) Writing letters

It's mainly what 頭語 and 結語 to use or what level of formality to use in what situations that I'm not sure on. Like if you were writing a letter to a company, what words/politeness to use (regular polite or keigo polite? skip the "how's the weather/family?" comments), would lecturers/teachers get keigo or normal politeness, what do use if you were applying for a job. I guess with informal letters to friends and so on, it wouldn't be much of an issue. But it's still something I'd like to know.

I've tried searching, and came up with sites like this one which helped get the basics of the layout down, but not things like if there's any difference in meaning between the various choices of tougo/ketsugo under "regular/polite".

When in doubt, use keigo. People who know more than you or are higher up than you (i.e. doctors, lawyers, teachers, older people, etc.) should always get it.

[Sean]

"Plain/straightforward/not out of the ordinary" was the sense I was starting to get from it. And that meaning for "sukasu" seem to fit as well.

I guess I'm going to have to check my keigo is up to stratch, then. Though I probably should anyway.

[Not to belittle you, but you weren't asking about the「々」part, were you? If you were, or if someone else is curious, it is used to mean a kanji has been repeated twice in a row, like 人々 (hitobito- people).]

Ah, no, I'm alright with 々.

[Outkast]

Okay, sorry!