質問: I'm slowly trying to read through a light novel and came across this sentence: 襲撃を予定してみたものの、集まったメンツは見事にキワモノばかりの盗賊団だ。 What does that キワモノ (kiwamono) mean? None of the dictionaries I've tried seem to know the meaning of that word.
回答: I agree that the dictionary definition in JMdict-based dictionaries is a bit vague. A noun meaning "seasonal articles" or "temporary". Anyway, let's try to understand the word in the context. ~~> > 襲撃を予定してみたものの、集まったメンツは見事に**キワモノ**ばかりの盗賊団だ。 > > *(I) tried to predict the attack, but the lineup was an utterly **ad hoc** band of thieves.* > > (not exactly sure who is attacking and who is lining up) > > > Why I used the word **ad hoc**?~~~~The original meaning of 際物{キワモノ} is "seasonal articles". It comes form the kanji 際 "occasion" and 物 "thing". The band of thieves was created for this particular raid, and that's why I think you can call it ad hoc.~~ There was some confusion over why it was written in katakana instead of kanji. For that, refer to this question: Why are katakana preferred over hiragana or kanji sometimes? **Edit:** It appears that my interpretation of the word was incorrect, since there are two answers that tell about another meaning for the word that fits this context better. It is much safer to assume that the band of thieves was dangerous than that the author of the novel actually goes meta and tells the readers that the band of thieves was a cheap trick that conveniently fit the situation. The link about katakana spelling still holds true. The word is written in katakana so that the new slang meaning will be considered by people who encounter the word for the first time. When the majority of people understand the new meaning (if ever), the katakana spelling can be dropped and you can start to use the kanji without the risk of being misunderstood.