根刮ぎ (nekosogi) means to uproot completely: to rip something out so thoroughly that nothing remains. Not just cutting down the tree. Pulling it out roots and all. The kanji tell this story perfectly. 根 (ne) means "root", built from tree (木) and motionless (艮). The root is the part of a tree that stays fixed underground, invisible but anchoring everything. 艮 itself shows an eye (目) and a turned-around person (匕): someone who stops, looks back, and stands firm. Permanence. Resistance.

Then 刮 (ko): scrape, hollow out. A blade (刂) digging into something until it's gone. Originally depicting a curved knife gouging out a hole. Together: taking a blade to the deepest, most permanent part of something and ripping it out entirely. You'll hear nekosogi (根刮ぎ) when someone takes everything without leaving a trace. A typhoon that strips a forest bare. A scandal that wipes out an entire career. Or more casually, someone cleaning out the fridge completely. 兄さんが持っているもの全部根こそぎもらいますよ。