hvat eitur tað á enskum

what is this in English?
what is this in English?


my back teeth are floating

Where's the restroom? My back teeth are floating!

(informal, slang) I have a strong need to urinate.


光天化日

ㄍㄨㄤ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄏㄨㄚˋ ㄖˋ

гуантяньхуажи

/ku̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ xu̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʐ̩⁵¹/

/kʷɔːŋ⁵⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵ faː³³ jɐt̚²/

/ku̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ xu̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʐ̩⁵¹/

/kʷɔːŋ⁵⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵ faː³³ jɐt̚²/

According to the scholar Hui Dong (惠棟), the original (or prescriptionist) form of 化日 in the phrase might have been 治日 (“enlightened, well-governed times”). In this theory, during much of the Tang Dynasty, the written corpus saw systematic censorship of the character 治 (zhì) due to 諱／讳 (huì, “naming taboo”) regarding the name of Li Zhi (李治), the Emperor Gaozong of Tang. The character 化 (huà) was among the most frequently-used replacements, and its legacy continued to influence later generations, who went on to use 化 where 治 would be expected even if the taboo was no longer in force.

lang

唐諱「治」，章懷注《後漢書》隨文改易。⋯此篇「治國之日舒以長」改爲「化國」。後人因之，遂有「光天化日」之語，豈非郢書而燕說乎？

Emperor Gaozong of Tang
Tang Dynasty
zh:惠棟


eru

Vem eru?

Eru inte trött? Du har inte sovit nåt.

Aren't you tired? You haven't slept any.

(colloquial, Stockholm) Pronunciation spelling of "är du" (are you, you are).


penny for your thoughts

/ˈpɛn.i fɔː jɔː ˈθɔːts/

/ˈpɛn.i fəː jəː ˈθɔːts/

One day, as your ladyship was playing on the harpsichord to my master, Mr Jones was sitting in the next room, and methought he looked melancholy. La! says I, Mr Jones, what's the matter? a penny for your thoughts, says I.

1749, Henry Fielding, chapter XIV, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume II, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book IV, page 106:

As for Harry, he sate in very deep meditation over the scene; and when Mrs. Lambert offered him a penny for his thoughts, he said, “That he thought, Young Norval, Douglas, What-d'ye-call-'em, the fellow in white satin—who looked as old as his mother—was very lucky to be able to distinguish himself so soon.

1857–1859, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, chapter LIX, in The Virginians. A Tale of the Last Century, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1858–1859, →OCLC:

And she said to Gerty:
—A penny for your thoughts.
—What? replied Gerty with a smile reinforced by the whitest of teeth.

1922 February, James Joyce, “[13]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC:

The penny-post is, commonly, an institution through which you seriously offer a man that penny for his thoughts which is so often safely offered in jest.

1854 August 9, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”, in Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC:

“A penny for your thoughts,” said Miss Wilkinson, looking at him with a smile.
“I’m not going to tell you,” he answered.
He was thinking that he ought to kiss her there and then.

1915, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, chapter XXXIII, in Of Human Bondage, New York, N.Y.: George H[enry] Doran Company, →OCLC:

Is there any thing else to say? My cry upon firing will be, “A penny for your thoughts.”

[1973, Arthur Bremer, An Assassin's Diary, Harper's Magazine Press, →ISBN, page 141:

(idiomatic) Used to inquire into the thoughts and feelings of another, especially when the person appears pensive or conflicted.

你在想什么？ (nǐ zài xiǎng shénme?) (no exact equivalent exists; lit., "what are you thinking about?")


ta någon på orden

take somebody literally
take somebody literally

to take somebody literally: to assume that someone meant what they said – literally (without doing any kind of second-guessing at what was really intended to be said, nor to interpret any kind of irony, sarcasm, etc. into it)


ODTAA

The expression is reputed to have gone around the colonial clubs of the distant countries of the British Empire in the Victorian period. It came to fame with the publication of the book ODTAA in 1926 by John Masefield.

thing after another
one thing after another

(abbreviation, mildly vulgar) one damn thing after another


tað almenna

The general public, the public authorities.


no pressure

Your boss wants to give the board a quick run-down our project in half an hour. Just five minutes and some question time. No pressure.

(idiomatic) The situation at hand is rife with emotional pressure.


lat meg fáa hetta

please give me this here (literally: "let me get this" - when pointing to something that you don't know the word for)


γλαῦκ' εἰς Ἀθήνας

head

γλαῦκ’ εἰς Ᾰ̓θήνᾱς

γλαῦκ’ εἰς Ᾰ̓θήνᾱς • (glaûk’ eis Athḗnās)

γλαῦκ’ εἰς Ᾰ̓θήνᾱς (canonical)
glaûk’ eis Athḗnās (romanization)

Czech: nosit sovy do Atén

Dutch: uilen naar Athene dragen

English: bring owls to Athens

Esperanto: porti strigojn al Ateno

German: Eulen nach Athen tragen

desc

κομίζω γλαύκα εις Αθήνας

Greek: κομίζω γλαύκα εις Αθήνας (komízo gláfka eis Athínas)

Italian: portare nottole ad Atene, portare civette ad Atene

Slovak: nosiť sovy do Atén

Swedish: bära ugglor till Aten

The owl, which roosted in the rafters of the old Parthenon (the one burnt by Xerxes I), was the symbol of the city of Athens, and was sacred to its patron goddess, Athena. It was featured on Athens’ silver coins, and as Athens both mined its own silver and minted its own coins, bringing owls (either the real birds, or the coins) to Athens would be pointless.
Compare English coals to Newcastle.

Undertaking a pointless, redundant, unnecessary, superfluous, or highly uneconomical venture.


人聲鼎沸

ㄖㄣˊ ㄕㄥ ㄉㄧㄥˇ ㄈㄟˋ

жэньшэндинфэй

/ʐən³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ tiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ feɪ̯⁵¹/

/jɐn²¹ sɪŋ⁵⁵ tɪŋ³⁵ fɐi̯³³/

/ʐən³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ tiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ feɪ̯⁵¹/

/jɐn²¹ sɪŋ⁵⁵ tɪŋ³⁵ fɐi̯³³/


vis major

Vis major; "greater force"; "act of God"; unavoidable accident.


today we are all

Probably originates from "today we are all Republicans", said by a physician attending U.S. President Ronald W. Reagan prior to a surgery.

"I know I speak for every American when I say to him today, we are all Georgians".

August 12, 2008:, Robert Barnes, "McCain to Georgian President: "Today, We Are All Georgians"", Washington Post

Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman punctuated the day with a speech to Christians United for Israel last night, declaring that "today, we are all Israelis."

July 19, 2006:, Jim VandeHei, "Congress Is Giving Israel Vote of Confidence; Both Parties Back Ally, Court Jewish Support", Washington Post, page A05

No progress in human affairs will ever be built on the blood of innocent people. Today, we are all Spanish.

March 11, 2004: Denis MacShane, Guardian Unlimited

Madness, even under the pretext of despair, is never a force that can regenerate the world. That is why today we are all Americans.

September 12, 2001: Jean-Marie Colombani, "Today, We Are All Americans", Le Monde

(idiomatic, US) An expression indicating that the speaker empathizes with members of an identifiable group that was the subject of a disaster, and projects that others empathize as well.


if looks could kill

In aphorism 64, section 2 of Friedrich Nietzsche's 1878 book Human, All Too Human, Nietzsche writes that "If looks could kill, we would long ago have been done for."
In chapter 16 of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula in a diary entry of Dr. Seward, he notes about the undead Lucy Westenra that "If ever a face meant death--if looks could kill--we saw it at that moment."
An ellipsis (anapodoton) for an expression such as "If looks could kill, her look would have led to the death of the person she was looking at."
A possible origin of the phrase comes from the legend of Medusa, who had the power to turn anyone who looked at her into stone.

(idiomatic, anapodoton) Used to characterize a look of strong hostility

如果眼神可以杀人

used to characterize a look of strong hostility


voi hyvin

be well, keep well (wish of good health)


kuulemiin

"until we hear (of each other) again" (literally)

Illative plural of the 3rd infinitive kuulema- of kuulla (“to hear”); thus, literally, "to hearings", "until hearings"; as if "until we hear again". Compare Swedish på återhörande.


tavalla tai toisella

one way or the other
one way or the other

one way or another, one way or the other


üvvä uuttõ voottõ

/ˈyvæː ˈuːtːɑ ˈvoːtːɑ/

[ˈyvːæ ˈuːtːə̠ ˈvoːtːə̠]


ni chicha ni limonada

Literally, “neither chicha (an alcoholic drink made from grapes or apples) nor lemonade (a non-alcoholic drink)”.

lit

neither fish nor fowl
neither fish nor fowl

(idiomatic) neither fish nor fowl; not easily conforming to categorization (said of something that is unknown or unclear)


en droppe i havet

Literally, "a drop (of water) in the sea".

something which can safely be ignored; something very insignificant; something which will have no effect due to its diminutive size; a drop in the bucket/drop in the ocean


let's not and say we did

“We must go on to the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, Pa,” said Seb, bravely. “We can't feel any worse.”
“Let's not and say we did,” groaned the sick father from his position of vantage at the rail.

1921, Harvard Lampoon, volume 80, number 10, page 324:

"Let's kick in a window on George," Dick Buckford said.
 "Let's not and say we did," Andy Houlihan said.

1947, James Thomas Farrell, The Life Adventurous and Other Stories, Vanguard Press, page 286:

Many teachers take a "Let's not and say we did" attitude toward extended experiential learning in the different styles.

2006, Jane A. G. Kise, Differentiated Coaching: A Framework for Helping Teachers Change, Corwin Press, →ISBN, page 65:

(idiomatic, colloquial) Indicates that the speaker does not agree with a proposed action, and does not wish to participate.


tj

[ˈt̪e̞ːˌjiː]

Tj on 347, kunnes toisin todistetaan.

One has 347 days left until proven otherwise.

(military slang) Initialism of tänään jäljellä (“days (specifically mornings, i.e. TJ 0 on the final day) left of military service (today)”, literally “left/remaining today”).


beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder

beauty is in the eye of the beholder#English

Alternative form of beauty is in the eye of the beholder


age before beauty

It is recorded that Mrs. Parker and a snooty debutante were both going in to supper at a party: the debutante made elaborate way, saying sweetly "Age before beauty, Mrs. Parker." "And pearls before swine," said Mrs. Parker, sweeping in.

1938 September 16, John Carter, “Best Sellers and the Atlantic”, in The Spectator, page 448:

(idiomatic) A phrase said to allow older people to go before younger ones.

Molodym vezdé u nas doroga, starikam vezdé u nas počót

Молодым везде́ у нас дорога, старикам везде́ у нас почёт


morra di

(slang) your mom, your mother, your mum, yo momma


回眸一笑

ㄏㄨㄟˊ ㄇㄡˊ ㄧ ㄒㄧㄠˋ

/xu̯eɪ̯³⁵ moʊ̯³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/wuːi̯²¹ mɐu̯²¹ jɐt̚⁵ siːu̯³³/

/xu̯eɪ̯³⁵ moʊ̯³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/wuːi̯²¹ mɐu̯²¹ jɐt̚⁵ siːu̯³³/

* 806: Bai Juyi, Song of Everlasting Regret
*

She could melt one's heart with her attractive smile […]

回眸一笑百媚生

Smiling attractively at the Hong Kong premiere of Curse of the Golden Flower, Gong Li reveals more cleavage than she bargained for

Gǒng Lì liàngxiàng Huángjīnjiǎ Xiānggǎng shǒuyìng, huímóuyīxiào bùshèn lùdiǎn

鞏俐亮相黃金甲香港首映 回眸一笑不慎露點

巩俐亮相黄金甲香港首映 回眸一笑不慎露点

to smile attractively; an attractive smile


ありがとうございました

ja-pos

ありがとう ございました

2012 August 17, Yoshikawa Miki, “第(だい)14(じゅうよん)話(わ) 心(しん)技(ぎ)一(いっ)休(きゅう)。 [Chapter 14: Shingi Ikkyū.]”, in 山(やま)田(だ)くんと7(しち)人(にん)の魔(ま)女(じょ) [Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches], volume 2 (fiction), Kodansha:

You helped me a great deal today. Thank you very much.

本日は大変お世話になりまして どうも有り難うございました

Honjitsu wa taihen o-sewa ni narimashite Dōmo arigatō gozaimashita


head

semel furibundus, semper furibundus praesūmitur

semel furibundus (canonical)
semper furibundus praesūmitur (canonical)

semel furibundus, semper furibundus praesumitur

/ˈse.mel fu.riˈbun.dus ˈsem.per fu.riˈbun.dus prae̯ˈsuː.mi.tur/

[ˈs̠ɛmɛɫ̪ fʊrɪˈbʊn̪d̪ʊs̠ ˈs̠ɛmpɛr fʊrɪˈbʊn̪d̪ʊs̠ präe̯ˈs̠uːmɪt̪ʊr]

/ˈse.mel fu.riˈbun.dus ˈsem.per fu.riˈbun.dus preˈsu.mi.tur/

[ˈsɛːmel furiˈbun̪d̪us ˈsɛmper furiˈbun̪d̪us preˈs̬uːmit̪ur]

(law) Once shown to be insane, always presumed to be insane.


five will get you ten

Betting parlance for even odds, i.e. betting five pounds (dollars, etc.) should win you ten.

Five will get you ten that your sheet will have an editorial on the Orchard case Sunday, and what will it say?

Five will get you ten that he's either gone or dead by midnight Sunday.

She has a nice strong tone that falters just a bit in the upper ranges; five'll get you ten that problem clears up as soon as [she] gets completely comfortable with performing publicly.

1983 December 3, Jolanta Benal, “Spandex, Sousa, Bad Politics”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 20, page 6:

As it is I'm going to be in big trouble financially if I lose my job and five will get you ten the bastards will try to drum me out.


camel through the eye of a needle

en-au-camel through the eye of a needle.ogg

With reference to the New Testament, Mark 10.25, Mat. 19.24 and Luke 18.25. See the Citations page for those texts.

Getting George to wake up before 7 o'clock is harder than getting a camel through the eye of a needle.

1795, John Swanwick (as "Snub"), "To WILLIAM WILCOCKS, Esquire, L. L. D. and DUke of New-York, &c.", in A Rub from Snub; or a cursory analytical epistle, page 57, quoting Wilcocks in the first footnote.
Alluding to the exordium of his writings againſt the democrats, wherein he ſays “ It is a difficult for a party-man to be an honeſt man, as for a camel to go through the eye of a needle,” whereby he moſt emphatically declares his own diſhoneſty at the very firſt daſh of his pen.

1825, "Sir H. L.", in The Political Correspondence of the Leading Members of Parliament with the the Speaker of the House of Commons on Emancipation, James Bigg (publ.), page 83.
You are endeavouring to pass a bill that never can and that never will pass the House of Lords. Do you want to make a camel go through the eye of a needle?

(idiomatic) Hyperbole to illustrate something that is impossible to do or to make happen.

حَتَّى يَلِجَ الْجَمَلُ فِي سَمِّ الْخِيَاطِ

faire passer un chameau par le chas d’une aiguille

łatwiej jest wielbłądowi przejść przez ucho igielne

it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God


手無寸鐵

ㄕㄡˇ ㄨˊ ㄘㄨㄣˋ ㄊㄧㄝˇ

/ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ t͡sʰu̯ən⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sɐu̯³⁵ mou̯²¹ t͡sʰyːn³³ tʰiːt̚³/

/sɐu̯³⁵ mou̯²¹ t͡sʰyːn³³ tʰiːt̚³/


劍拔弩張

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (劍拔弩張):
* → Japanese: 剣抜弩張(けんばつどちょう) (kenbatsudochō)

swords are unsheathed, and crossbows are drawn

ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄅㄚˊ ㄋㄨˇ ㄓㄤ

цзяньбанучжан

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ pä³⁵ nu²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵⁵/

/kiːm³³ pɐt̚² nou̯¹³ t͡sœːŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ pä³⁵ nu²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵⁵/

/kiːm³³ pɐt̚² nou̯¹³ t͡sœːŋ⁵⁵/


skaga fram

Tennurnar sköguðu fram úr munninum hans. The teeth protruded from his mouth.


standa út

Takkarnir standa út úr lyklaborðinu.


猫も杓子も

ja-pos

猫(ねこ)も杓(しゃく)子(し)も • (neko mo shakushi mo)

猫も杓子も (canonical)
neko mo shakushi mo (romanization)

everyone and their dog
everyone and their dog

everyone and their dog; literally “cats and ladles too”


bon ghiornu

Composed of Sicilian bon (“good”) and ghiornu (“day”).


сколько лет, сколько зим

head

ско́лько лет, ско́лько зим!

ско́лько лет, ско́лько зим! • (skólʹko let, skólʹko zim!)

ско́лько лет (canonical)
ско́лько зим! (canonical)
skólʹko let (romanization)
skólʹko zim! (romanization)

Literally, “so many summers, so many winters”. A pun for сколько лет (skolʹko let), which is usually expected to mean "so many years", but may be interpreted as "so many summers".
Russian phrasebook
 This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

phrasebook

long time no see
long time no see#English

"It’s been ages since we met!", long time no see

en-сколько_лет,_сколько_зим-ru-phrase-6Bzcb9KB


不白之冤

ㄅㄨˋ ㄅㄞˊ ㄓ ㄩㄢ

бубайчжиюань

/pu⁵¹ paɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ɥɛn⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ paːk̚² t͡siː⁵⁵ jyːn⁵⁵/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ pe(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ t͡si⁴⁴⁻²² uan⁴⁴/

/put̚⁵⁻²⁴ pe(ʔ)²⁴⁻² t͡si³³ uan³³/

/put̚³²⁻⁵ pe(ʔ)¹²¹⁻²¹ t͡si⁴⁴⁻²² uan⁴⁴/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ pe(ʔ)⁴⁻¹¹ t͡si⁴⁴⁻³³ uan⁴⁴/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ pe(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ t͡si⁴⁴⁻³³ uan⁴⁴/

/pu⁵¹ paɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ɥɛn⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ paːk̚² t͡siː⁵⁵ jyːn⁵⁵/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ pe(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ t͡si⁴⁴⁻²² uan⁴⁴/

/put̚⁵⁻²⁴ pe(ʔ)²⁴⁻² t͡si³³ uan³³/

/put̚³²⁻⁵ pe(ʔ)¹²¹⁻²¹ t͡si⁴⁴⁻²² uan⁴⁴/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ pe(ʔ)⁴⁻¹¹ t͡si⁴⁴⁻³³ uan⁴⁴/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ pe(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ t͡si⁴⁴⁻³³ uan⁴⁴/

miscarriage of justice which remains uncorrected; unredressed grievance


se Dio vuole

Se Dio vuole è venerdì!


持之有故

ㄔˊ ㄓ ㄧㄡˇ ㄍㄨˋ

/ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku⁵¹/

one has a well founded view or opinion; one's views can be supported by facts or evidence


per stirpes

From Latin per (“by, through”) and stirpēs (“rootstock”).

(law) A method of distributing an estate to the descendants or heirs of a deceased legatee in which the estate is divided equally among the branches of a family or designated heirs, without regard to differing numbers of people in different branches.

por estirpe

method of distributing an estate to the descendants of a deceased legatee in which the estate is divided equally among the branches of a family, without regard to differing numbers of people in different branches


抽絲剝繭

to peel the cocoon (of a silkworm) by unraveling the (raw) silk thread from which it was spun

ㄔㄡ ㄙ ㄅㄛ ㄐㄧㄢˇ

чоусыбоцзянь

/ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯⁵⁵ sz̩⁵⁵ pu̯ɔ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sʰɐu̯⁵⁵ siː⁵⁵ mɔːk̚⁵ kaːn³⁵/

/tʰiu⁴⁴⁻³³ si⁴⁴⁻³³ pak̚³²⁻⁴ kiɛn⁴¹/

/tʰiu⁴⁴⁻³³ si⁴⁴⁻³³ pak̚³²⁻⁴ kiɛn⁵³/

/t͡sʰɐu̯⁵⁵ siː⁵⁵ mɔːk̚⁵ kaːn³⁵/

/tʰiu⁴⁴⁻³³ si⁴⁴⁻³³ pak̚³²⁻⁴ kiɛn⁴¹/

/tʰiu⁴⁴⁻³³ si⁴⁴⁻³³ pak̚³²⁻⁴ kiɛn⁵³/

to painstakingly get to the bottom of something; to struggle to understand a convoluted argument or issue


差強人意

ㄔㄚ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄧˋ

ㄔㄚˋ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄧˋ

/ʈ͡ʂʰä⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ ʐən³⁵ i⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʰä⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ ʐən³⁵ i⁵¹/

/t͡sʰaː⁵⁵ kʰœːŋ²¹ jɐn²¹ jiː³³/

/t͡sʰaː⁵⁵ kʰœːŋ¹³ jɐn²¹ jiː³³/

/ʈ͡ʂʰä⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ ʐən³⁵ i⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʰä⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ ʐən³⁵ i⁵¹/

/t͡sʰaː⁵⁵ kʰœːŋ²¹ jɐn²¹ jiː³³/

/t͡sʰaː⁵⁵ kʰœːŋ¹³ jɐn²¹ jiː³³/

Sense #2 is a recent re-interpretation of the 差 in this idiom as “below standard”.

The Book of the Later Han, circa 5ᵗʰ century CE

Dì shí qiǎn rén guān dàsīmǎ hé wèi, hái yán fāng xiū zhàngōng zhī jù, nǎi tàn yuē: “Wúgōng chāqiángrényì, yǐn ruò yī dí guó yǐ.”

帝時遣人觀大司馬何為，還言方修戰攻之具，乃嘆曰：「吳公差彊人意，隱若一敵國矣。」

帝时遣人观大司马何为，还言方修战攻之具，乃叹曰：「吴公差强人意，隐若一敌国矣。」

(approvingly) just passable; fair; adequate

(neologism, disapprovingly) below standard and not quite satisfactory; barely acceptable; not that great; just ok


粗枝大葉

ㄘㄨ ㄓ ㄉㄚˋ ㄧㄝˋ

/t͡sʰu⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ jɛ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰou̯⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ taːi̯²² jiːp̚²/

/t͡sʰu⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ jɛ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰou̯⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ taːi̯²² jiːp̚²/

Fortunately, there are many comrades in Yenan who have written at length in this field, so that my rough and ready words may serve the same purpose as the beating of the gongs before a theatrical performance.

1940, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《新民主主義論》 (On New Democracy), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

Hǎozài Yán'ān xǔduō tóngzhì yǐ yǒu xiángjìn de wénzhāng, wǒ de cūzhīdàyè de dōngxi, jiù dàngzuò yīfān kāitáiluógǔ hǎo le.

好在延安許多同志已有詳盡的文章，我的粗枝大葉的東西，就當作一番開臺鑼鼓好了。

好在延安许多同志已有详尽的文章，我的粗枝大叶的东西，就当作一番开台锣鼓好了。


步履維艱

ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄩˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄐㄧㄢ

булюйвэйцзянь

/pu⁵¹ ly²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/pou̯²² lei̯¹³ wɐi̯²¹ kaːn⁵⁵/

/pu⁵¹ ly²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/pou̯²² lei̯¹³ wɐi̯²¹ kaːn⁵⁵/

to walk with great difficulty; to have difficulty walking


斷章取義

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (斷章取義):
* → Japanese: 断(だん)章(しょう)取(しゅ)義(ぎ) (danshōshugi)
* → Korean: 단장 취의(斷章取義) (danjang chwiui)

desc

→ Japanese: 章を断ち義を取る (shō o tachi gi o toru) (calque)

ㄉㄨㄢˋ ㄓㄤ ㄑㄩˇ ㄧˋ

дуаньчжанцюйи

/tu̯än⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵¹/

/tyːn²² t͡sœːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯³⁵ jiː²²/

/tu̯än⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵¹/

/tyːn²² t͡sœːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯³⁵ jiː²²/

take something out of context
take out of context


one's jig is up

1836, Horatio Hastings Weld, "The Martyr to Science", in Corrected Proofs, Russell, Shattuck & Co., page 74,
P.S. C'est en fait—my jig is up! While under the barber's hands this morning, a boy posted up in the shop the programme of a course of Phrenological Lectures!

1920, Ethel and James Dorrance, Glory Rides the Range, The Macaulay Company, page 272,
"You tell the lie!" she accused. "And you'd better quit, for your jig is up. I've got you right. […]"

2006, Derrick Parker and Matt Diehl, Notorious C.O.P.: the inside story of the Tupac, Biggie, and Jam Master Jay investigations from the NYPD's first "hip-hop cop", St. Martin's Press, →ISBN, page 102,
But I'd convinced a witness to come in, […] Sure enough, when we brought Marshall in for the lineup, she picked him right away. ¶ Marshall was naturally upset that his jig was up, […]

(idiomatic) Alternative form of the jig is up [for one].


the jig is up

head

the jig is up (simple past the jig was up)

Jig is an old term for a lively dance, and in the Elizabethan era the word also became slang for a practical joke or a trick. This idiom derives from this obsolete slang word.

We knew then the jig was up, and it was no grin matter for us.

When I first told 'em how the jig was up with us, that the British were going to have the land, without any fighting about it, I never see fellows so mad before in my life, unless it was Major Eaton at Washington when he sot out to flog Mr. Ingham.

1833, Seba Smith (as Jack Downing), The life and writings of Major Jack Downing, of Downingville, away down East in the State of Maine, Lilly; Wait; Colman & Holden, page 176:

After I had returned home in the spring of 1893 from Washington, where I saw so many gray-haired men who had held high elective office begging for the crumbs from Cleveland's table, I gave my wife an account of what I observed, and told her that when the jig was up for me I would hasten back to Missouri to begin the practice of law once more and be a man among men.

1920, Champ Clark, My Quarter Century of American Politics, Harper & brothers, page 96:

The universe works in strange ways: just when you think the jig is up, you get a second chance.

2007, Mary Newport, in Jerry Newport and Mary Newport, Mozart and the Whale: An Asperger's Love Story, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 248:

(Australia, New Zealand, US, idiomatic) An expression used to mean "We have been caught out and have no defense", or if spoken to a person who has just been found out as the perpetrator of an offense, where it means "You've been discovered".


惡名昭著

ㄜˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄓㄠ ㄓㄨˋ

/ˀɤ⁵¹ miŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹/

/ˀɤ⁵¹ miŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹/


臭名昭著

ㄔㄡˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄓㄠ ㄓㄨˋ

чоуминчжаочжу

/ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯⁵¹ miŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹/

/t͡sʰɐu̯³³ mɪŋ²¹ t͡sʰiːu̯⁵⁵ t͡syː³³/

/t͡sʰau²¹³⁻⁵⁵ mĩã⁵⁵⁻¹¹ t͡siou³³⁻²³ tu²¹³/

/ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯⁵¹ miŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹/

/t͡sʰɐu̯³³ mɪŋ²¹ t͡sʰiːu̯⁵⁵ t͡syː³³/


惡名昭彰

ㄜˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄓㄠ ㄓㄤ

эминчжаочжан

/ˀɤ⁵¹ miŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵⁵/

/ɔːk̚³ mɪŋ²¹ t͡sʰiːu̯⁵⁵ t͡sœːŋ⁵⁵/

/ˀɤ⁵¹ miŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵⁵/

/ɔːk̚³ mɪŋ²¹ t͡sʰiːu̯⁵⁵ t͡sœːŋ⁵⁵/


안녕하세요

[a̠nɲʌ̹ŋɦa̠sʰe̞jo]

Informal polite (해요체 (haeyoche)) form of 안녕하다 (annyeonghada, “to be well/peaceful”) with honorific.

안녕하세요, 여러분, 저는 아나이고요, 저는 워싱턴 디씨에 살아요.

Hi there! I’m Anna and I live in Washington, D.C.

Annyeonghaseyo, yeoreobun, jeo-neun Ana-igoyo, jeo-neun Wosingteon Dissi-e sarayo.


안녕하십니까

[a̠nɲʌ̹ŋɦa̠ɕʰimnik͈a̠]

Formal polite interrogative (하십시오체 (hasipsioche)) form of 안녕하다 (annyeonghada, “to be well/peaceful”) with honorific.

ko-l

(literally, "Are [you] well/peaceful?")


vim vi repellere licet

[u̯ɪ̃ˑ u̯iː rɛˈpɛlːʲɛrɛ ˈlʲɪkɛt̪]

From the Digest of Justitian (6th century), the principle of self-defense in Roman law.

(law) It is permitted to repel force with force.


den Ast absägen, auf dem man sitzt

Literally, “to saw off the branch on which one is sitting”.

lit

(idiomatic) to undermine one's own position; to act in a way that will eventually make one lose something that one is dependent on


鼓舞人心

ㄍㄨˇ ㄨˇ ㄖㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄣ

/ku²¹⁴⁻³⁵ u²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

/kuː³⁵ mou̯¹³ jɐn²¹ sɐm⁵⁵/

/ku²¹⁴⁻³⁵ u²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

/kuː³⁵ mou̯¹³ jɐn²¹ sɐm⁵⁵/


鬼影幢幢

ㄍㄨㄟˇ ㄧㄥˇ ㄔㄨㄤˊ ㄔㄨㄤˊ

guǐ yǐng chuángchuáng [Phonetic:guíyǐngchuángchuáng]

гуй ин чуанчуан

/ku̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ iŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑŋ³⁵/

/kʷɐi̯³⁵ jɪŋ³⁵ t͡sʰɔːŋ²¹ t͡sʰɔːŋ²¹/

/kʷɐi̯³⁵ jɪŋ³⁵ t͡sʰɔːŋ²¹ t͡sʰɔːŋ²¹/


猫の手も借りたい

ja-pos

ねこ の て も かりたい

猫(ねこ)の手(て)も借(か)りたい • (neko no te mo karitai)

猫の手も借りたい (canonical)
neko no te mo karitai (romanization)

年の暮れは、海苔生産者は、猫の手も借りたいほど忙しい。

Toshi no kure wa, nori seisansha wa, neko no te mo karitai hodo isogashii.

At the end of the year producers of nori are so busy there aren't enough hours in the day.

not enough hours in the day
not enough hours in the day

(idiomatic) so busy there are not enough hours in the day; lit. to want to borrow even the paw of a cat


坐井觀天

ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄐㄧㄥˇ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄊㄧㄢ

цзоцзингуаньтянь

/t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹ t͡ɕiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku̯än⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/t͡sɔː²² t͡sɛːŋ³⁵ kuːn⁵⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵/

/t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹ t͡ɕiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku̯än⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/t͡sɔː²² t͡sɛːŋ³⁵ kuːn⁵⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵/

Related to 井底之蛙 (jǐngdǐzhīwā). Directly from

Lao Tzŭ merely narrowed the scope of charity and duty; he did not attempt to do without them altogether. His view of them was the narrow view of a man sitting at the bottom of a well and inferring the size of the heavens from the small portion visible to himself.

c. early 9th century, Han Yu (韓愈),《原道》, translated into English as True Faith of a Confucianist by Herbert Allen Giles, 1922.

Lǎozǐ zhī xiǎo rényì, fēi huǐ zhī yě, qí jiàn zhě xiǎo yě. Zuò jǐng ér guān tiān, yuē “tiān xiǎo” zhě, fēi tiān xiǎo yě.

老子之小仁義，非毀之也，其見者小也。坐井而觀天，曰「天小」者，非天小也。

老子之小仁义，非毁之也，其见者小也。坐井而观天，曰「天小」者，非天小也。

ignorant of the world; to be living under a rock


pater semper incertus est

[ˈpät̪ɛr ˈs̠ɛmpɛr ɪŋˈkɛrt̪ʊs̠ ɛs̠t̪]

"The father is always uncertain" (i.e. the identity of a child’s father is always in question)


絞盡腦汁

ㄐㄧㄠˇ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄋㄠˇ ㄓ

цзяоцзиньнаочжи

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕin⁵¹ nɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

ㄐㄧㄠˇ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄋㄠˇ ㄓㄦ

цзяоцзиньнаочжир

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕin⁵¹ nɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩ɻ⁵⁵/

/kaːu̯³⁵ t͡sɵn²² nou̯¹³ t͡sɐp̚⁵/

/ka⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sin²²⁻²¹ nãu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡siap̚³²/

/ka⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ t͡sin⁴¹⁻²² nãu⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ t͡siap̚⁵/

/ka⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sin²²⁻²¹ nãu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡siap̚³²/

/ka⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sin³³⁻¹¹ nãu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡siap̚³²/

/ka⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ t͡sin³³⁻²¹ nãu⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ t͡siap̚³²/

/kaːu̯³⁵ t͡sɵn²² nou̯¹³ t͡sɐp̚⁵/

/ka⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sin²²⁻²¹ nãu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡siap̚³²/

/ka⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sin²²⁻²¹ nãu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡siap̚³²/

/ka⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sin³³⁻¹¹ nãu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡siap̚³²/

/ka⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ t͡sin³³⁻²¹ nãu⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ t͡siap̚³²/


拉山頭

/lä⁵⁵ ʂän⁵⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵/

/lä⁵⁵ ʂän⁵⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵/


潰不成軍

ㄎㄨㄟˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄐㄩㄣ

куйбучэнцзюнь

/kʰu̯eɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵/

/kʰuːi̯³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ²¹ kʷɐn⁵⁵/

/kʰu̯eɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵/

/kʰuːi̯³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ²¹ kʷɐn⁵⁵/

to be utterly routed; to be soundly defeated


胼手胝足

ㄆㄧㄢˊ ㄕㄡˇ ㄓ ㄗㄨˊ

пяньшоучжицзу

/pʰi̯ɛn³⁵ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡su³⁵/

/pʰi̯ɛn³⁵ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡su³⁵/

Intercalation of 胼胝 (piánzhī) and 手足 (shǒuzú).


密密麻麻

ㄇㄧˋ ˙ㄇㄧ ㄇㄚˊ ㄇㄚˊ

ㄇㄧˋ ㄇㄧˋ ㄇㄚˊ ㄇㄚˊ

/mi⁵¹ mi¹ mä³⁵ mä³⁵/

/mi⁵¹⁻⁵³ mi⁵¹ mä³⁵ mä³⁵/

/mɐt̚² mɐt̚² maː²¹ maː²¹/

/mi⁵¹ mi¹ mä³⁵ mä³⁵/

/mi⁵¹⁻⁵³ mi⁵¹ mä³⁵ mä³⁵/

/mɐt̚² mɐt̚² maː²¹ maː²¹/


殺雞取卵

ㄕㄚ ㄐㄧ ㄑㄩˇ ㄌㄨㄢˇ

шацзицюйлуань

/ʂä⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻³⁵ lu̯än²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/saːt̚³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯³⁵ lɵn³⁵/

/saːt̚³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯³⁵ lɵn³⁵/

Nǐ nuóyòng gōngkuǎn lái chīhēwányuè, wúyì shì shājīqǔluǎn, zhōng jiāng zìshí'èguǒ.

你挪用公款來吃喝玩樂，無異是殺雞取卵，終將自食惡果。

你挪用公款来吃喝玩乐，无异是杀鸡取卵，终将自食恶果。

(figurative) to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs

Qínshǐhuáng héngzhēngbàoliǎn, shǐ bǎixìng sāncān bùjì, mínbùliáoshēng, zhè zhǒng fāngshì wúyì yú shājīqǔluǎn.

秦始皇橫徵暴斂，使百姓三餐不繼，民不聊生，這種方式無異於殺雞取卵。

秦始皇横征暴敛，使百姓三餐不继，民不聊生，这种方式无异于杀鸡取卵。

(figurative) politicians levy excessive taxes and do not hesitate to cut off the people's vitality


勢均力敵

ㄕˋ ㄐㄩㄣ ㄌㄧˋ ㄉㄧˊ

/ʂʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵ li⁵¹ ti³⁵/

/sɐi̯³³ kʷɐn⁵⁵ lɪk̚² tɪk̚²/

/ʂʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵ li⁵¹ ti³⁵/

/sɐi̯³³ kʷɐn⁵⁵ lɪk̚² tɪk̚²/


潛移默化

ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄧˊ ㄇㄛˋ ㄏㄨㄚˋ

ㄑㄧㄢˇ ㄧˊ ㄇㄛˋ ㄏㄨㄚˋ

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ i³⁵ mu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ä⁵¹/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ i³⁵ mu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ä⁵¹/

/t͡sʰiːm²¹ jiː²¹ mɐk̚² faː³³/

/t͡siam²⁴⁻¹¹ i²⁴⁻¹¹ biɪk̚⁴⁻³² hua¹¹/

/t͡siam²⁴⁻²² i²⁴⁻²² biɪk̚⁴⁻³² hua²¹/

/t͡siam²³⁻³³ i²³⁻³³ biɪk̚⁴⁻³² hua²¹/

/t͡sʰiam²⁴⁻¹¹ i²⁴⁻¹¹ biɪk̚⁴⁻³² hua¹¹/

/t͡sʰiam²³⁻³³ i²³⁻³³ biɪk̚⁴⁻³² hua²¹/

/t͡sʰiam⁵⁵⁻¹¹ i⁵⁵⁻¹¹ mik̚⁴⁻² hue²¹³/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ i³⁵ mu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ä⁵¹/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ i³⁵ mu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ä⁵¹/

/t͡sʰiːm²¹ jiː²¹ mɐk̚² faː³³/

/t͡siam²⁴⁻¹¹ i²⁴⁻¹¹ biɪk̚⁴⁻³² hua¹¹/

/t͡siam²⁴⁻²² i²⁴⁻²² biɪk̚⁴⁻³² hua²¹/

/t͡siam²³⁻³³ i²³⁻³³ biɪk̚⁴⁻³² hua²¹/

/t͡sʰiam²⁴⁻¹¹ i²⁴⁻¹¹ biɪk̚⁴⁻³² hua¹¹/

/t͡sʰiam²³⁻³³ i²³⁻³³ biɪk̚⁴⁻³² hua²¹/

/t͡sʰiam⁵⁵⁻¹¹ i⁵⁵⁻¹¹ mik̚⁴⁻² hue²¹³/

to influence secretly, subtly; to change due to unnoticeable influence


韜光養晦

ㄊㄠ ㄍㄨㄤ ㄧㄤˇ ㄏㄨㄟˋ

таогуанъянхуэй

/tʰɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ku̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ jɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯eɪ̯⁵¹/

/tʰou̯⁵⁵ kʷɔːŋ⁵⁵ jœːŋ¹³ fuːi̯³³/

/tʰɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ku̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ jɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯eɪ̯⁵¹/

/tʰou̯⁵⁵ kʷɔːŋ⁵⁵ jœːŋ¹³ fuːi̯³³/

to hide one's talents, and bide one's time for the right opportunity


未蒙其利，先受其害

ㄨㄟˋ ㄇㄥˊ ㄑㄧˊ ㄌㄧˋ

ㄒㄧㄢ ㄕㄡˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄏㄞˋ

wei⁴ mêng² chʻi² li⁴, hsien¹ shou⁴ chʻi² hai⁴

вэй мэн ци ли

сянь шоу ци хай

/weɪ̯⁵¹ mɤŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ li⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʂoʊ̯⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ xaɪ̯⁵¹/

to receive damage from something long before getting any benefit from it


quihtoznequi

c-, qu- (3sgO) + ihtoā "say" + -z (future)+ nequi "want"
Literally "wants to say". Probably a calque of Spanish quiere decir.

Which means; that is; that is to say; i.e.


如出一轍

ㄖㄨˊ ㄔㄨ ㄧ ㄓㄜˊ

ㄖㄨˊ ㄔㄨ ㄧ ㄔㄜˋ

/ʐu³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɤ³⁵/

/ʐu³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤ⁵¹/

/jyː²¹ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ jɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰiːt̚³/

/lu²⁴⁻²² t͡sʰut̚³²⁻⁴ it̚³²⁻⁴ tiɛt̚⁴/

/zu²³⁻³³ t͡sʰut̚³²⁻⁴ it̚³²⁻⁴ tiɛt̚⁴/

/zi²³⁻³³ t͡sʰut̚³²⁻⁴ it̚³²⁻⁴ tiɛt̚⁴/

/ʐu³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɤ³⁵/

/ʐu³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤ⁵¹/

/jyː²¹ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ jɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰiːt̚³/

/lu²⁴⁻²² t͡sʰut̚³²⁻⁴ it̚³²⁻⁴ tiɛt̚⁴/

/zu²³⁻³³ t͡sʰut̚³²⁻⁴ it̚³²⁻⁴ tiɛt̚⁴/

/zi²³⁻³³ t͡sʰut̚³²⁻⁴ it̚³²⁻⁴ tiɛt̚⁴/

from the same mold; peas in a pod; exactly alike


無所不用其極

ㄨˊ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄩㄥˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄐㄧˊ

wú suǒ bùyòng qí jí [Phonetic:wú suǒ búyòng qí jí]

у со буюн ци цзи

/u³⁵ su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ jʊŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ t͡ɕi³⁵/

/mou̯²¹ sɔː³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ jʊŋ²² kʰei̯²¹ kɪk̚²/

From the Great Learning (《大學》) in the Book of Rites:
:
It has later become a derogatory term.

On the bathing tub of Tang, the following words were engraved: "If you can one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day. Yea, let there be daily renovation." In the Announcement to Kang (《康誥》), it is said, "To stir up the new people." In the Book of Poetry, it is said, "Although Zhou was an ancient state the ordinance which lighted on it was new." Therefore, the superior man in everything uses his utmost endeavors.

The Book of Rites, c. 4ᵗʰ – 2ⁿᵈ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Tāng zhī pán míng yuē: “Jì rìxīn, rì rìxīn, yòu rìxīn.” “Kānggào” yuē: “Zuò xīnmín.” “Shī” yuē: “Zhōu suī jiù bāng, qí mìng wéi xīn.” Shìgù jūnzǐ wú suǒ bùyòng qí jí.

湯之盤銘曰：「茍日新，日日新，又日新。」《康誥》曰：「作新民。」《詩》曰：「周雖舊邦，其命惟新。」是故君子無所不用其極。

汤之盘铭曰：「茍日新，日日新，又日新。」《康诰》曰：「作新民。」《诗》曰：「周虽旧邦，其命惟新。」是故君子无所不用其极。

(usually disapproving) to resort to every conceivable means; to stop at nothing; to go to any length

Book of Rites
Classic of Poetry
Tang of Shang


言之成理

ㄧㄢˊ ㄓ ㄔㄥˊ ㄌㄧˇ

/jɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jiːn²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ sɪŋ²¹ lei̯¹³/

/jɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jiːn²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ sɪŋ²¹ lei̯¹³/

to speak in a rational or convincing way; to sound reasonable


洋洋灑灑

ㄧㄤˊ ㄧㄤˊ ㄙㄚˇ ㄙㄚˇ

/jɑŋ³⁵ jɑŋ³⁵ sä²¹⁴⁻³⁵ sä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jœːŋ²¹ jœːŋ²¹ saː³⁵ saː³⁵/

/jɑŋ³⁵ jɑŋ³⁵ sä²¹⁴⁻³⁵ sä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jœːŋ²¹ jœːŋ²¹ saː³⁵ saː³⁵/

(of writing) at great length; voluminous


頂きます

頂きます (canonical)
itadakimasu (romanization)

The regular formal or polite conjugation of humble verb 頂(いただ)く (itadaku, “to humbly receive”).

(humble, polite) to eat; I will eat, let's eat


浴火重生

ㄩˋ ㄏㄨㄛˇ ㄔㄨㄥˊ ㄕㄥ

/y⁵¹ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵/

/jʊk̚² fɔː³⁵ t͡sʰʊŋ²¹ sɐŋ⁵⁵/

/y⁵¹ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵/

/jʊk̚² fɔː³⁵ t͡sʰʊŋ²¹ sɐŋ⁵⁵/

to be given a new lease on life after a tragedy


由點到面

ㄧㄡˊ ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄉㄠˋ ㄇㄧㄢˋ

ю дянь дао мянь

/joʊ̯³⁵ ti̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ tɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ mi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/joʊ̯³⁵ ti̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ tɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ mi̯ɛn⁵¹/

Literally: from (a single) point to (the whole) plain


雜亂無章

ㄗㄚˊ ㄌㄨㄢˋ ㄨˊ ㄓㄤ

цзалуань у чжан

/t͡sä³⁵ lu̯än⁵¹ u³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡saːp̚² lyːn²² mou̯²¹ t͡sœːŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡sä³⁵ lu̯än⁵¹ u³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡saːp̚² lyːn²² mou̯²¹ t͡sœːŋ⁵⁵/


振筆疾書

ㄓㄣˋ ㄅㄧˇ ㄐㄧˊ ㄕㄨ

чжэньби цзи шу

/ʈ͡ʂən⁵¹ pi²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi³⁵ ʂu⁵⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂən⁵¹ pi²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi³⁵ ʂu⁵⁵/


削足適履

slice off one's foot so that it will fit inside a shoe

ㄒㄩㄝ ㄗㄨˊ ㄕˋ ㄌㄩˇ

ㄒㄩㄝˋ ㄗㄨˊ ㄕˋ ㄌㄩˇ

/ɕy̯ɛ⁵⁵ t͡su³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ly²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ɕy̯ɛ⁵¹ t͡su³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ly²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sœːk̚³ t͡sʊk̚⁵ sɪk̚⁵ lei̯¹³/

/ɕy̯ɛ⁵⁵ t͡su³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ly²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ɕy̯ɛ⁵¹ t͡su³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ly²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sœːk̚³ t͡sʊk̚⁵ sɪk̚⁵ lei̯¹³/

to force an impractical solution to a problem


鄭人買履

ㄓㄥˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄇㄞˇ ㄌㄩˇ

чжэнжэньмайлюй

/ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ maɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ly²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sɛːŋ²² jɐn²¹ maːi̯¹³ lei̯¹³/

/ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ maɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ly²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sɛːŋ²² jɐn²¹ maːi̯¹³ lei̯¹³/

There once lived a man from Zheng who was about to buy some shoes. He had measured his feet beforehand, and placed the measurements on a chair. When it came time for him to go to the market, he forgot to bring the measurements with him. He had already picked out the shoes that he wanted, and then said, "I forgot to bring the measurements, I need to go home and get them." He returned home (to get the measurements, but by the time he got back) the market was closed, so he could not get the shoes. People would ask him, "Why did you not just try on the shoes?" To this he replied, "I would rather believe the measurements, I don't trust myself."

Zhèng rén yǒu qiě zhì lǚ zhě, xiān zì duó qí zú ér zhì zhī qí zuò, zhì zhī shì ér wàng cāo zhī. Yǐ dé lǚ, nǎi yuē: “Wú wàng chí dù, fǎn guī qǔ zhī.” Jí fǎn, shì bà, suì bù dé lǚ. Rén yuē: “Hé bù shì zhī yǐ zú?” Yuē: “Níng xìn dù, wú zì xìn yě.”

鄭人有且置履者，先自度其足而置之其坐，至之市而忘操之。已得履，乃曰：“吾忘持度，反歸取之。”及反，市罷，遂不得履。人曰：“何不試之以足？”曰：“寧信度，無自信也。”

郑人有且置履者，先自度其足而置之其坐，至之市而忘操之。已得履，乃曰：“吾忘持度，反归取之。”及反，市罢，遂不得履。人曰：“何不试之以足？”曰：“宁信度，无自信也。”

(sarcastic) a person who rigidly adheres to rules and regulations (or established convention), while at the same time ignoring the reality of a situation


裝門面

ㄓㄨㄤ ㄇㄣˊ ㄇㄧㄢˋ

чжуан мэньмянь

/ʈ͡ʂu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ mən³⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ mən³⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹/

to put up a facade; to keep up appearances


Смерть шпионам

head

Сме́рть шпио́нам!

Сме́рть шпио́нам! • (Smértʹ špiónam!)

Сме́рть шпио́нам ! (canonical)
Smértʹ špiónam! (romanization)

"Death to spies!", rallying cry of SMERSH, the counterintelligence department of the GRU and NKVD.


雷打不動

ㄌㄟˊ ㄉㄚˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄨㄥˋ

léi dǎ bù dòng [Phonetic:léi dǎ bú dòng]

лэй да бу дун

/leɪ̯³⁵ tä²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ tʊŋ⁵¹/

/leɪ̯³⁵ tä²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ tʊŋ⁵¹/

Literally: even if lightning were to strike it, it will not move

one's mind is made up, and cannot be changed

to rigidly adhere to an established arrangement, without any changes


otan osaa

[ˈo̞t̪ɑ̝n ˈo̞s̠ɑ̝ː]


bonne continuation

all the best, best of luck (used to wish someone one doesn't expect to see again luck in their future endeavours)


'nuff said

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-'nuff said.wav

Contraction and pronunciation spelling of enough said.

“Your new computer is super expensive!” “Yeah, but it rocks! ’Nuff said!”

Remember, Blanche DuBois was a blotto and her trip to New Orleans didn't get her anywhere. Nuff said.

1979, Margaret Oberman, Doug Steckler, I Could Have Been a Contender: Or, The Other Book of Lists, New York, N.Y.: Avon, →ISBN, page 102:

(informal) Used in various situations to either end a discussion, or to imply that further discussion is not needed.


sprichst du Englisch

do you speak English
do you speak English


alles Gute zum Geburtstag

Literally, “everything good for the birthday”.


wie geht's

Literally, “how does it go?”; compare English how's it going?, French comment ça va?.


monkey see, monkey do

Monkey see, monkey do / Don't ever make the first move, just let 'em come to you

2003, Eminem (lyrics and music), “Monkey See, Monkey Do”, in Straight from the Lab:

Then why Hong Kong people stock toilet paper? Because monkey see monkey do. Hong Kong people stock toilet paper because people scared toilet paper come from China, tomorrow China no toilet paper, we all cannot go pang sai.

2020 February 20, Chan Chun Sing, as quoted, “Full transcript of 25-minute leaked audio recording of Chan Chun Sing dialogue with SCCCI”, in Mothership.sg:

A conventional explanation for mimicry, especially of a foolish action done with no consideration of the consequences.


på fersken

Tjuven vart teken på fersken

Ingen fekk til å ta han på fersken når han køyrde i fylla

Nobody was able to catch him in the act of drunk-driving

red-handed, in the act of committing a misdeed


刻舟求劍

ja-r

こく%しゅう%きゅう%けん

CJKV/code

こく%しゅう%きゅう%けん

Sino-Xenic (刻舟求劍):
* → Japanese: 刻(こく)舟(しゅう)求(きゅう)剣(けん) (kokushūkyūken)
* → Korean: 각주구검(刻舟求劍) (gakjugugeom)
* → Vietnamese: khắc chu cầu kiếm (刻舟求劍)

CJKV

こく%しゅう%きゅう%けん

ja-r

ふね に きざみて けん を もとむ

→ Japanese: (calque) 舟(ふね)に刻(きざ)みて剣(けん)を求(もと)む (fune ni kizamite ken o motomu)

ㄎㄜˋ ㄓㄡ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄐㄧㄢˋ

кэчжоуцюцзянь

/kʰɤ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂoʊ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/hɐk̚⁵ t͡sɐu̯⁵⁵ kʰɐu̯²¹ kiːm³³/

/kʰɤ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂoʊ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/hɐk̚⁵ t͡sɐu̯⁵⁵ kʰɐu̯²¹ kiːm³³/

From a story in Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals

There was a man from the state of Chu who was crossing a river. His sword fell from the boat into the river. He quickly made a notch on the boat saying, "This is the place where my sword fell in. When the boat stops, I will go into the water and search for my sword from the spot where I made the notch." The boat was already moving, but the sword had not moved. Is it not stupid to search for the sword in this manner?

Lü Buwei, Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals, 239 BCE

Chǔ rén yǒu shè jiāng zhě, qí jiàn zì zhōu zhōng zhuì yú shuǐ. Jù qì qí zhōu, yuē: shì wú jiàn zhī suǒ cóng zhuì. Zhōu zhǐ, cóng qí suǒ qì zhě rù shuǐ qiú zhī. Zhōu yǐ xíng yǐ, ér jiàn bù xíng. Qiú jiàn ruò cǐ, bù yì huò hū.

楚人有涉江者，其劍自舟中墜於水。遽契其舟，曰：是吾劍之所從墜。舟止，從其所契者入水求之。舟已行矣，而劍不行。求劍若此，不亦惑乎。

楚人有涉江者，其剑自舟中坠于水。遽契其舟，曰：是吾剑之所从坠。舟止，从其所契者入水求之。舟已行矣，而剑不行。求剑若此，不亦惑乎。

It seems as though this kind of thorough investigation that you are conducting is like notching a moving boat in order to mark where your sword dropped into the river, you are being inflexible.

c. 1791, Anonymous, Dream of the Red Chamber, Chapter 120 (紅樓夢/第120回)

Sì nǐ zhèyàng xúngēnjiūdǐ, biànshì kèzhōuqiújiàn, jiāozhùgǔsè le.

似你這樣尋根究底，便是刻舟求劍，膠柱鼓瑟了。

似你这样寻根究底，便是刻舟求剑，胶柱鼓瑟了。

Workers in the literary arts must squarely face the reality of the rapid changes currently taking place within our country when considering the wellworn theories of the past about literature and art, and must not stubbornly cling to tradition.

c. 1900 - 1995: Xia Yan, Unite and advance through liberation thought (解放思想團結前進)

Wénxué yìshù gōngzuòzhě bìxū zhèngshì wǒguó dāngqián xùnsù biànhuà de shíjì, lái kǎochá wǒmen guòqù yòng guàn le de wényì lǐlùn, ér bùnéng kèzhōuqiújiàn.

文學藝術工作者必須正視我國當前迅速變化的實際，來考察我們過去用慣了的文藝理論，而不能刻舟求劍。

文学艺术工作者必须正视我国当前迅速变化的实际，来考察我们过去用惯了的文艺理论，而不能刻舟求剑。

to not know how to adapt to changed conditions; to rigidly cling to an idea or approach without considering the reality of a situation; to stubbornly cling to tradition


det golla meg rått

(slang) Idiomatic saying expressing gloating in someone else's misfortune. Slang phrase among adolescents from Oslo and nearby districts in the 1970s. Now obsoleted.


jeg gossa meg

Jeg gossa meg!

(slang) Expression of gloating over someone else's misfortune.


saisinko laskun

may I have the bill, please
may I have the bill, please

can I have the bill, please
can I have the bill, please

may I have the bill, please?, can I have the bill, please?, the bill, please


what's the crack

what's the craic
what's the craic#English


grá mo chroí

[ɡɾˠaː mˠə xɾˠiː]


TKO

/ˈtiː ˈkeɪ ˈəʊ/

(medicine) Initialism of to keep open: an indication for the insertion of an intravenous catheter


TLDNR

(Internet, slang) Alternative form of tl;dr (“too long, did not read”)


perish the thought

Equivalent to "[may] the thought perish", with the verb in the subjunctive mood followed by its subject.

What! was he to lose his hold over these boys, and that because he was unable to cope with a boy much smaller and younger than himself? Perish the thought!

1885, Horatio Alger, chapter 13, in Hector's Inheritance:

According to industry gossips, Richard and Judy may soon go their separate ways. Not maritally; no, perish the thought.

2007 June 22, Grace Dent, The Guardian, G2, p. 3:

May the thought perish; said of an idea or suggestion that is deeply undesirable.


the night is young

The night is young, and full of possibilities / Well come on, and let yourself be free

1979, Frederick Knight (lyrics and music), “Ring My Bell”, performed by Anita Ward:

It's not very late (at night) and there's plenty of time.


does a bear shit in the woods

First attested in print in the 1960s (see Citations). Earlier attested variations include Does the little brown bear live in the woods? (1952), and Does a bear like the woods? (1959)

rhetorical question
rhetorical question#English

(colloquial, rhetorical question, mildly vulgar) A rhetorical question in response to a question to which the answer is an emphatic yes.

schijt een beer in het bos?

emphatic yes by way of an idiomatic, rhetorical question

does the Pope shit in the woods?

A combination of is the Pope Catholic? and does a bear shit in the woods?


how much does it cost

What is its price? How much money do you want for it?

偌济钱？

lōa-chōe chîⁿ? / lǒa-chōe chîⁿ? / lōa-chē chîⁿ? / gōa-chōe chîⁿ? / gōa-chē chîⁿ?


Erin go bragh

From Irish Éire go brách or Éirinn go brách.


yhtä kuin

Yksi plus yksi on yhtä kuin kaksi.


IIUC

(Internet slang) Initialism of if I understand correctly.


殺雞儆猴

→ Vietnamese: giết gà doạ khỉ (calque)

杀鸡儆猴
殺鷄儆猴
殺雞警猴/殺鷄警猴/杀鸡警猴
殺雞驚猴/殺鷄驚猴/杀鸡惊猴

ㄕㄚ ㄐㄧ ㄐㄧㄥˇ ㄏㄡˊ

шацзицзинхоу

/ʂä⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ t͡ɕiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ xoʊ̯³⁵/

ㄕㄚ ㄐㄧ ㄐㄧㄥˇ ㄏㄡˊㄦ

шацзицзинхоур

/ʂä⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ t͡ɕiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ xɤʊ̯ɻʷ³⁵/

/saːt̚³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ kɪŋ³⁵ hɐu̯²¹/

/ʂä⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ t͡ɕiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ xoʊ̯³⁵/

/ʂä⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ t͡ɕiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ xɤʊ̯ɻʷ³⁵/

/saːt̚³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ kɪŋ³⁵ hɐu̯²¹/

(figurative) to make a public demonstration of punishing a wrongdoer in order to deter innocents who might mimic the example of the wrongdoer


恭喜發財

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (恭喜發財):
* → Vietnamese: cung hỉ phát tài (恭喜發財)

desc

→ English: Kung Hei Fat Choi, Gong Xi Fa Cai, Kiong Hee Huat Chai

→ Indonesian: Kiong Hi Huat Cai

→ Tagalog: Kung Hey Fat Tsoy, Kiong Hee Huat Tsai

ㄍㄨㄥ ㄒㄧˇ ㄈㄚ ㄘㄞˊ

/kʊŋ⁵⁵ ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ fä⁵⁵ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵/

/kʊŋ⁵⁵ hei̯³⁵ faːt̚³ t͡sʰɔːi̯²¹/

/kɵŋ³³ hei⁵⁵ fat̚³³ tʰᵘɔi²²/

/kiʊŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ hi³¹ fat̚¹ t͡sʰoɪ¹¹/

/kyŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ⁽ʰ⁻⁾ŋi³³ huaʔ²⁴⁻²¹ t͡sai⁵³/

/kiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² hi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ huat̚³²⁻⁴ t͡sai²⁴/

/kiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² hi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ huat̚³²⁻⁵ t͡sai¹³/

/kiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ hi⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ huat̚³²⁻⁴ t͡sai²³/

/kiɔŋ³³ hi⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ huat̚⁵⁻²⁴ t͡sai²⁴/

/kiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² hi⁴²⁻²⁴ huat̚³²⁻⁴ t͡sai²⁴/

/kiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ hi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ huat̚³²⁻⁴ t͡sai²⁴/

/kioŋ³³⁻²³ hi⁵²⁻³⁵ huak̚²⁻⁴ t͡sʰai⁵⁵/

/kioŋ³³⁻²³ hi⁵²⁻³⁵ huek̚²⁻⁴ t͡sʰai⁵⁵/

/koŋ⁵⁵ ɕi³³ faʔ⁴⁴ ze²³/

/kʊŋ⁵⁵ ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ fä⁵⁵ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵/

/kʊŋ⁵⁵ hei̯³⁵ faːt̚³ t͡sʰɔːi̯²¹/

/kɵŋ³³ hei⁵⁵ fat̚³³ tʰᵘɔi²²/

/kiʊŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ hi³¹ fat̚¹ t͡sʰoɪ¹¹/

/kyŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ⁽ʰ⁻⁾ŋi³³ huaʔ²⁴⁻²¹ t͡sai⁵³/

/kiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² hi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ huat̚³²⁻⁴ t͡sai²⁴/

/kiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² hi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ huat̚³²⁻⁵ t͡sai¹³/

/kiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ hi⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ huat̚³²⁻⁴ t͡sai²³/

/kiɔŋ³³ hi⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ huat̚⁵⁻²⁴ t͡sai²⁴/

/kiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² hi⁴²⁻²⁴ huat̚³²⁻⁴ t͡sai²⁴/

/kiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ hi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ huat̚³²⁻⁴ t͡sai²⁴/

/kioŋ³³⁻²³ hi⁵²⁻³⁵ huak̚²⁻⁴ t͡sʰai⁵⁵/

/kioŋ³³⁻²³ hi⁵²⁻³⁵ huek̚²⁻⁴ t͡sʰai⁵⁵/

/koŋ⁵⁵ ɕi³³ faʔ⁴⁴ ze²³/

Originated in post-Opium War Guangzhou Cantonese, now a general Chinese phrase.

(a cheeky request for a red packet of lucky money)

恭喜發財，紅包拿來！

恭喜发财，红包拿来！

gung¹ hei² faat³ coi⁴, lai⁶ si⁶ dau⁶ loi⁴!

恭喜發財，利市𢭃來！

恭喜发财，利市𢭃来！

He liked to call a restaurant on every New Year's Day (of the lunar calendar), as he knew clearly the lady there answering the phone would inevitably greet him with "Kung Hei Fat Choi". Upon hearing this he (Zhou Shi) would promptly reply by saying "Thank you, thank you" and then just hang up. His reason for doing this was just to get an auspicious start of the new year, not an act of patronisation."

馬家輝 (Ma Ka Fai), 《我們──關於這個時代的一些喜悅與憂傷》 (Us - Some Happiness and Sadness about This Era), page 62

taa¹ hei² fun¹ jyu¹ daai⁶ nin⁴ co¹ jat¹ daa² din⁶ waa⁶⁻² kap¹ jat¹ gaa¹ zau² lau⁴, jan¹ wai⁶ taa¹ ming⁴ zi¹ dou³ zip³ din⁶ waa⁶⁻² dik¹ siu² ze² naa⁴ hei² teng¹ tung² hau⁶ syut³ dik¹ dai⁶ jat¹ geoi³ waa⁶ bit¹ si⁶ “gung¹ hei² faat³ coi⁴”, zau¹ sek⁶ sin¹ saang¹ lin⁴ mong⁴ wui⁴ jing³ “do¹ ze⁶ do¹ ze⁶”, jin⁴ hau⁶ maa⁵ soeng⁶ sau¹ sin³; seon⁴ seoi⁶ wai⁶ liu⁵ ceoi² go³ hou² ji³ tau⁴, bat¹ wai⁶ bong¹ can³.

他喜歡於大年初一打電話給一家酒樓，因為他明知道接電話的小姐拿起聽筒後說的第一句話必是「恭喜發財」，周石先生連忙回應「多謝多謝」，然後馬上收線；純粹為了取個好意頭，不為幫襯。

他喜欢于大年初一打电话给一家酒楼，因为他明知道接电话的小姐拿起听筒后说的第一句话必是「恭喜发财」，周石先生连忙回应「多谢多谢」，然后马上收线；纯粹为了取个好意头，不为帮衬。

Happy New Year (congratulations and best wishes for a prosperous New Year)


恭喜發財

cung hỉ phát tài
cung hỉ phát tài#Vietnamese

chữ Hán form of cung hỉ phát tài (“May you have a prosperous New Year!”).


don't take any wooden nickels

HELMER: What the hell, Nora? NORA: So long, Kid, don't take any wooden nickels!

Well, I only meant to write a line and I've written pages! Well, don't take any wooden nickels.

1917, William Ely Hill, Among Us Mortals: Pictures and Legends by W.E. Hill:

For conversation pieces . . . the whacky necklace called "Don't take any wooden nickels!" at $1.83 (designed by Martha Sleeper).

1938, "Macy's College Shop" [display advertisement], New York Times, 14 Aug, p. 19

H. T. Webster's comic strip, "The Timid Soul," in the Oakland Tribune of September 10, 1950 used the tendency to repeat worn phrases as the subject for the hero's good intentions. The following are recorded: . . . Don't take any wooden nickels.

1951 Jan, “Folklore in the News: Cliché Strip”, in Western Folklore, volume 10, number 1, page 84:

Don't take any wooden nickels
When you sell your soul
A devil of a time awaits you
When the party's over
You're on your own.

2000, Mark O. Everett (lyrics and music), “Wooden Nickels”, in Daisies of the Galaxy, performed by Eels:

(US, dated) Do not permit yourself to be cheated or duped; do not be naive.


塞翁失馬

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (塞翁失馬):
* → Korean: 새옹실마(塞翁失馬) (sae'ongsilma)
* → Vietnamese: tái ông thất mã (塞翁失馬)

Japanese: 塞翁(さいおう)が馬(うま) (saiō ga uma)

Korean: 새옹지마 (塞翁之馬, sae'ongjima)

ㄙㄞˋ ㄨㄥ ㄕ ㄇㄚˇ

/saɪ̯⁵¹ wəŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sʰɔːi̯³³ jʊŋ⁵⁵ sɐt̚⁵ maː¹³/

/sai²¹⁻⁵³ ɔŋ⁴⁴ sit̚³²⁻⁴ mã⁵³/

/sai¹¹⁻⁵³ ɔŋ⁴⁴ sit̚³²⁻⁴ mã⁵³/

/sai²¹⁻⁴¹ ɔŋ⁴⁴ sit̚³²⁻⁴ mã⁴¹/

/saɪ̯⁵¹ wəŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sʰɔːi̯³³ jʊŋ⁵⁵ sɐt̚⁵ maː¹³/

/sai²¹⁻⁵³ ɔŋ⁴⁴ sit̚³²⁻⁴ mã⁵³/

/sai¹¹⁻⁵³ ɔŋ⁴⁴ sit̚³²⁻⁴ mã⁵³/

/sai²¹⁻⁴¹ ɔŋ⁴⁴ sit̚³²⁻⁴ mã⁴¹/

See 塞翁失馬，焉知非福／塞翁失马，焉知非福 (sàiwēng shī mǎ, yānzhī fēi fú).

zh-l

Every cloud has a silver lining
every cloud has a silver lining

blessing in disguise
blessing in disguise

Every cloud has a silver lining. / A setback may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.


ég elska þig

From ég (“I”) + elska (“I love”), the first person singular of elska (“to love”) + þig, the accusative singular of þú (“you”).

I'm in love with you
I'm in love with you


וכו׳

וְכוּ׳ (canonical)
v'khu. (romanization)

Short for וכולה \ וְכֻלֵּהּ \ וְכוּלֵּיהּ (v'khuleih).


I could eat a horse

She said: "I'm starved. I could eat a horse." I told her she was lying, because I had once eaten horse.

1946, George Johnston, Skyscrapers in the Mist, page 46:

(idiomatic, hyperbolic) I am very hungry; short form of "I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse."

zjadłbym konia z kopytami

lit.: I would eat a horse, including hoofs

tengo más hambre que el perro de un ciego

lit.: I'm so hungry, I could eat a lamb for a single meal

o kadar açım ki tek oturuşta bir kuzu yiyebilirim


none of your bee's wax

none of your beeswax
none of your beeswax#English

Alternative form of none of your beeswax


TL/DNR

(Internet, slang) Alternative form of tl;dr


all rights reserved

(idiomatic, law) The copyright holder of a creative work reserves all copyright-related rights, typically including the right to publish the work, to make derivative works of it, to distribute it, to make profit from it, to license a number of these rights to other people, and to forbid these uses by any unauthorized people, thus being entitled to take legal action against infringement.


vom Tellerwäscher zum Millionär

/fɔm ˈtɛlɐˌvɛʃɐ tsʊm mɪli̯oˈnɛːɐ̯/

Literally, “from dishwasher to millionaire”


in order to

She stood in order to see over the crowd. / She stood to see over the crowd.

Simple common sense would dictate that the two-year schools, in order to compensate for the relative educational deprivation of their students, would have to spend more money on their college education.

1979, David Nasaw, Schooled to Order: A Social History of Public Schooling in the United States, page 227:

In order to do that, I turn briefly to the ways in which the terms "marked" and "unmarked" are employed in other domains, to determine whether those notions can be extended naturally into the area of discourse.

1995, Matthew S. Dryer, “Frequency and pragmatically unmarked word order”, in Pamela Downing, Michael P. Noonan, editors, Word Order in Discourse, page 109:

State law requires a name change applicant to publish notice of the potential name change, in order to alert the public in case anyone wants to contest the action.

2011, Lisa Sedano, How to Change Your Name in California, page 97:

As a means of achieving the specified end; to.

لِكَي

as a means of achieving the specified aim

เพื่อที่จะ

pʉ̂ʉa tîi jà


ngwi pyaw ai X'mas rai u ga

ngwi pyaw ai X'mas rai u ga ! (canonical)


dw

Alternative form: DW

But...what exactly are celebrities asking for in the first place? It’s a classic chicken-and-egg scenario. Dw, tho, I asked the pros firsthand: What are the elite set asking for this year, for those of us who want to get in on the trends a little early? And they delivered.

2024 September 5, Beth Gillette, “24 Fall Hair Colors Every Celebrity Is Asking for Rn”, in Cosmopolitan:

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of don't worry.


æfingin skapar meistarann

Literally meaning "practice makes the master" or "practice makes master".

practice makes perfect
practice makes perfect


talar þú ensku

See also etymology at talar þú....
From 3. person form of [að] tala "[to] talk" (= [þú] talar, "[you] speak") + þú "you" + singular accusative of enska meaning "English" (=ensku). Literally meaning "[you] speak you English?" or "you speak English"?


talar þú japönsku

See also etymology at talar þú....
From 3. person form of [að] tala "[to] talk" (= [þú] talar, "[you] speak") + þú "you" + singular accusative of japanska meaning "Japanese" (=japönsku). Literally meaning "[you] speak you Japanese?" or "you speak Japanese"?


talar þú latínu

See also etymology at talar þú....
From 3. person form of [að] tala "[to] talk" (= [þú] talar, "[you] speak") + þú "you" + singular accusative of latína meaning "Latin" (=latínu). Literally meaning "[you] speak you Latin?" or "you speak Latin"?


hvað segirðu

Hvað (“what”) + segir (“say”) + þú (“you”) (literally "what say you?"), with "þú" being merged with the previous verb.

Hvað segirðu? - Allt gott, takk fyrir.

Hvað segirðu gott?


mahalo nui loa

Composed of mahalo (“thanks”) nui (“big, great”) loa (“long”).


愛才如命

ㄞˋ ㄘㄞˊ ㄖㄨˊ ㄇㄧㄥˋ

/ˀaɪ̯⁵¹ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵ ʐu³⁵ miŋ⁵¹/

/ɔːi̯³³ t͡sʰɔːi̯²¹ jyː²¹ mɪŋ²²/

/ˀaɪ̯⁵¹ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵ ʐu³⁵ miŋ⁵¹/

/ɔːi̯³³ t͡sʰɔːi̯²¹ jyː²¹ mɪŋ²²/

to cherish talented people the same as cherishing one's own life


SCNR

(Internet slang) Initialism of sorry, could not resist: used in partial apology for a wisecrack.


gizaagiʼin

The animate transitive verb zaagiʼ (to love) + the positive present-indicative subject/object marker gi-...-in (I...thee).


生日快樂

ㄕㄥ ㄖˋ ㄎㄨㄞˋ ㄌㄜˋ

шэнжи куайлэ

/ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ kʰu̯aɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ lɤ⁵¹/

/saːŋ⁵⁵ jɐt̚² faːi̯³³ lɔːk̚²/

/saŋ²⁴ ŋit̚² kʰu̯ai̯⁵⁵ lok̚⁵/

/saŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ ŋit̚¹ kʰuaɪ⁵³ lɔk̚⁵/

/sĩ⁴⁴⁻²² lit̚⁴⁻³² kʰuai²¹⁻⁵³ lɔk̚⁴/

/sĩ³³ lit̚²⁴⁻² kʰuai⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ lɔk̚²⁴/

/sĩ⁴⁴⁻³³ lit̚⁴⁻³² kʰuai¹¹⁻⁵³ lɔk̚⁴/

/sɛ̃⁴⁴⁻²² d͡zit̚¹²¹⁻²¹ kʰuai²¹⁻⁵³ lɔk̚¹²¹/

/sẽ⁴⁴⁻³³ zit̚⁴⁻³² kʰuai²¹⁻⁴¹ lɔk̚⁴/

/sẽ³³⁻²³ d͡zik̚⁴⁻² kʰuai²¹³⁻⁵⁵ lak̚⁴/

/sã⁵⁵ n̠ʲiɪʔ³³ kʰua³³ loʔ⁴⁴/

/ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ kʰu̯aɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ lɤ⁵¹/

/saːŋ⁵⁵ jɐt̚² faːi̯³³ lɔːk̚²/

/saŋ²⁴ ŋit̚² kʰu̯ai̯⁵⁵ lok̚⁵/

/saŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ ŋit̚¹ kʰuaɪ⁵³ lɔk̚⁵/

/sĩ⁴⁴⁻²² lit̚⁴⁻³² kʰuai²¹⁻⁵³ lɔk̚⁴/

/sĩ³³ lit̚²⁴⁻² kʰuai⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ lɔk̚²⁴/

/sĩ⁴⁴⁻³³ lit̚⁴⁻³² kʰuai¹¹⁻⁵³ lɔk̚⁴/

/sẽ⁴⁴⁻³³ zit̚⁴⁻³² kʰuai²¹⁻⁴¹ lɔk̚⁴/

/sẽ³³⁻²³ d͡zik̚⁴⁻² kʰuai²¹³⁻⁵⁵ lak̚⁴/

/sã⁵⁵ n̠ʲiɪʔ³³ kʰua³³ loʔ⁴⁴/


DNE

(college) Initialism of do not erase, written on chalk boards to protect information from being erased.

(business, mathematics) Initialism of does not exist.


尋根究底

ㄒㄩㄣˊ ㄍㄣ ㄐㄧㄡ ㄉㄧˇ

ㄒㄩㄣˊ ㄍㄣ ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄉㄧˇ

сюньгэньцзюди

/ɕyn³⁵ kən⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵ ti²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ɕyn³⁵ kən⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹ ti²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sʰɐm²¹ kɐn⁵⁵ kɐu̯³³ tɐi̯³⁵/

/ɕyn³⁵ kən⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵ ti²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ɕyn³⁵ kən⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹ ti²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sʰɐm²¹ kɐn⁵⁵ kɐu̯³³ tɐi̯³⁵/

to make a thorough inquiry into something


窮根究底

ㄑㄩㄥˊ ㄍㄣ ㄐㄧㄡ ㄉㄧˇ

ㄑㄩㄥˊ ㄍㄣ ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄉㄧˇ

цюнгэньцзюди

/t͡ɕʰi̯ʊŋ³⁵ kən⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵ ti²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ʊŋ³⁵ kən⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹ ti²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/kʰʊŋ²¹ kɐn⁵⁵ kɐu̯³³ tɐi̯³⁵/

/kʰʊŋ²¹ kɐn⁵⁵ kɐu̯³³ tɐi̯³⁵/


追根究底

ㄓㄨㄟ ㄍㄣ ㄐㄧㄡ ㄉㄧˇ

ㄓㄨㄟ ㄍㄣ ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄉㄧˇ

чжуйгэньцзюди

/ʈ͡ʂu̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ kən⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵ ti²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ʈ͡ʂu̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ kən⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹ ti²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sɵy̯⁵⁵ kɐn⁵⁵ kɐu̯³³ tɐi̯³⁵/

/t͡sɵy̯⁵⁵ kɐn⁵⁵ kɐu̯³³ tɐi̯³⁵/

get to the bottom of
get to the bottom of


桃園結義

ㄊㄠˊ ㄩㄢˊ ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄧˋ

/tʰɑʊ̯³⁵ ɥɛn³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ i⁵¹/

/tʰou̯²¹ jyːn²¹ kiːt̚³ jiː²²/

/tʰɑʊ̯³⁵ ɥɛn³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ i⁵¹/

/tʰou̯²¹ jyːn²¹ kiːt̚³ jiː²²/

From the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in which Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, and Liu Bei made an oath in the peach garden.

Guan Yu
Liu Bei
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Zhang Fei


朋比為奸

ㄆㄥˊ ㄅㄧˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄐㄧㄢ

ㄆㄥˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄐㄧㄢ

пэнбивэйцзянь

/pʰɤŋ³⁵ pi²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/pʰɤŋ³⁵ pi⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/pʰɐŋ²¹ pei̯³³ wɐi̯²¹ kaːn⁵⁵/

/pʰɤŋ³⁵ pi²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/pʰɤŋ³⁵ pi⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/pʰɐŋ²¹ pei̯³³ wɐi̯²¹ kaːn⁵⁵/

Based on an excerpt in the New Book of Tang

During the Han dynasty, righteous officials were one-minded and patriotic, but they were hated by the vile eunuchs, who set up the partisan prohibitions to end their regime. Those who sought after profit often ganged up because of their common selfishness, while the upright often fell into their snares.

Hàn shí míngjié gǔgěng shì, tóngxīn àiguó, ér huànguān xiǎorén jí zhī, qǐ dǎnggù zhī yù, qì wáng tiānxià. Qūlì zhī rén, cháng wéi péngbǐ, tóng qí sī yě; shǒuzhèng zhī rén, cháng zāo gòuhuǐ, wéi qí sī yě.

漢時名節骨鯁士，同心愛國，而宦官小人疾之，起黨錮之獄，訖亡天下。趨利之人，常為朋比，同其私也；守正之人，常遭構毀，違其私也。

汉时名节骨鲠士，同心爱国，而宦官小人疾之，起党锢之狱，讫亡天下。趋利之人，常为朋比，同其私也；守正之人，常遭构毁，违其私也。

Later Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, Feng Xu, Duan Gui, Cao Jie, Hou Lan, Jian Shuo, Cheng Kuang, Xia Yun, and Guo Sheng formed a faction for evil purposes; they were called the "Ten Attendants".

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14ᵗʰ century CE

Hòu Zhāng Ràng, Zhào Zhōng, Fēng Xū, Duàn Guī, Cáo Jié, Hóu Lǎn, Jiǎn Shuò, Chéng Kuàng, Xià Yùn, Guō Shèng shí rén péngbǐwèijiān, hào wèi “Shíchángshì”.

後張讓、趙忠、封諝、段珪、曹節、侯覽、蹇碩、程曠、夏惲、郭勝十人朋比為奸，號為「十常侍」。

后张让、赵忠、封谞、段珪、曹节、侯览、蹇硕、程旷、夏恽、郭胜十人朋比为奸，号为「十常侍」。

to conspire; to gang up; to form a faction for evil purposes


С Рождеством Христовым и с Новым годом

head

С Рождество́м Христо́вым и с Но́вым го́дом • (S Roždestvóm Xristóvym i s Nóvym gódom)

S Roždestvóm Xristóvym i s Nóvym gódom (romanization)

[s‿rəʐdʲɪstˈvom xrʲɪˈstovɨm i ˈs‿novɨm ˈɡodəm]

Ru-С Рождеством Христовым и с Новым годом.ogg

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

en-С_Рождеством_Христовым_и_с_Новым_годом-ru-phrase-kB7BZ2qh


碧眼童顏

ㄅㄧˋ ㄧㄢˇ ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄧㄢˊ

бияньтунъянь

/pi⁵¹ jɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ jɛn³⁵/

/pɪk̚⁵ ŋaːn¹³ tʰʊŋ²¹ ŋaːn²¹/

/pi⁵¹ jɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ jɛn³⁵/

/pɪk̚⁵ ŋaːn¹³ tʰʊŋ²¹ ŋaːn²¹/

He came across an old man; the old man had a youthful countenance, and was carrying a walking stick fashioned from the hardened stalk of a goosefoot plant.

Yù yī lǎorén, bìyǎntóngyán, shǒu zhí lízhàng.

遇一老人，碧眼童顏，手執藜杖。

遇一老人，碧眼童颜，手执藜杖。

Describes a person who is old, but still has a youthful face.


呼風喚雨

ㄏㄨ ㄈㄥ ㄏㄨㄢˋ ㄩˇ

хуфэнхуаньюй

/xu⁵⁵ fɤŋ⁵⁵ xu̯än⁵¹ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/fuː⁵⁵ fʊŋ⁵⁵ wuːn²² jyː¹³/

/hɔ⁴⁴⁻³³ hɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ huan²¹⁻⁴¹ u⁴¹/

/hɔ⁴⁴⁻³³ hɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ huan¹¹⁻⁵³ u⁵³/

/xu⁵⁵ fɤŋ⁵⁵ xu̯än⁵¹ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/fuː⁵⁵ fʊŋ⁵⁵ wuːn²² jyː¹³/

/hɔ⁴⁴⁻³³ hɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ huan²¹⁻⁴¹ u⁴¹/

/hɔ⁴⁴⁻³³ hɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ huan¹¹⁻⁵³ u⁵³/

My teacher had supernatural powers; in a flip of a hand and a turn of a body, he could turn water into oil, and stone into gold.

Wu Cheng'en, Journey to the West, 16ᵗʰ century CE

Wǒ nà shīfù hūfēnghuànyǔ, zhǐ zài fānzhǎng zhījiān; zhǐ shuǐ wéi yóu, diǎn shí chéng jīn, què rú zhuǎnshēn zhī yì.

我那師父呼風喚雨，只在翻掌之間；指水為油，點石成金，卻如轉身之易。

我那师父呼风唤雨，只在翻掌之间；指水为油，点石成金，却如转身之易。

There is also a Taoist priest among them, who was enfeoffed Yinhua Zhenren; he could summon the wind and rain, and could ride the mist and clouds.

Nèizhōng háiyǒu yī ge dàoshì, guān fēng Yǐnhuà Zhēnrén, néng hūfēnghuànyǔ, jiàwùténgyún.

內中還有一個道士，官封引化真人，能呼風喚雨，駕霧騰雲。

内中还有一个道士，官封引化真人，能呼风唤雨，驾雾腾云。

I am a disciple of the Lotus Priest and Grand Divine Master from the Xuankong Temple in Banbi Mountain. I can summon the wind and rain, and can subdue demons and evil spirits. You'd be risking death if you dare come here!

Wú nǎi Bànbìshān Xuánkōngguàn Liánhuā Dàozhǎng Dàxiānshī zhī ménrén, shàn huì hūfēnghuànyǔ, xiángyāo zhuōguài, nǐ gǎn lái zhèli sòngsǐ!

吾乃半壁山玄空觀蓮花道長大仙師之門人，善會呼風喚雨，降妖捉怪，你敢來這裡送死！

吾乃半壁山玄空观莲花道长大仙师之门人，善会呼风唤雨，降妖捉怪，你敢来这里送死！

to have strong supernatural powers and can summon the wind and rain; to control the forces of nature

(of a person) to have extraordinary capabilities (and be influential)


o.a.

Abbreviation of og andet (“and other things”).

Den maa som Regel udføres under ret betydelig Kraftudfoldelse; hvis der er Indkiling, løsnes denne ved stærk Traction under Dorsalflexion (Packard, König, Kr. Poulsen o.a.); ...

1912, Ionas Collin, “On the treatment of arm fractures”, in Om behandling af armbrud:

It must usually be done under quite considerable exertion of force; if there is a ?, this is loosened by strong traction under dorsiflexion (Packard, König, Kr. Poulsen et al.); ...

Vi har haft flere gode arrangementer med Ebbe Kløvedal Reich, Tine Bryld, Peter Poulsen o.a. og med omkring 100 mennesker pr gang, fortæller de tre.

We have had several good events with Ebbe Kløvedal Reich, Tine Bryld, Peter Poulsen et al., and with about 100 people per time, the three [individuals] relate.

I Interiøret med store Figurer har som sædvanlig en Række Damer — Carla Colsman, Marie Sandholt, Magdalene Hammerich, Margrethe Svenn Poulsen o. a. — forsøgt sig; men det er snarere den udfoldede Energi end Resultaterne man beunder ...

In the interior with large figures, as usual, a series of ladies —Carla Colsman, Marie Sandholt, Magdalene Hammerich, Margrethe Svenn Poulsen et al. — have made their attempts; but it is rather the energy expended than the results that one admires ...

64) Se eksempelvis Tim Johnson o.a.: "Cost Based Tariffing in Europe", OVUM, London, 1989.

1992, Anders Henten, Flemming Nielsen, Knud Erik Skouby, Jan Kronlund, Forbrugerne og telepolitikken, Nordic Council of Ministers, →ISBN, page 91:

64) See e.g. Tim Johnson et al.: "Cost Based Tariffing in Europe", OVUM, London, 1989.

Abbreviation of og andre (“and others, et al.”).


here you are

(idiomatic) Said when handing something over to someone or doing a favour to them, usually to draw the recipient's attention to the exchange; equivalent to “thank you” when receiving something.


you snooze you lose

(slang) If one is not alert and attentive, one will not be successful.

nopeat syövät hitaat

If you are not alert and attentive, you will not be successful

camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente


望風而靡

ㄨㄤˋ ㄈㄥ ㄦˊ ㄇㄧˇ

/wɑŋ⁵¹ fɤŋ⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ mi²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/wɑŋ⁵¹ fɤŋ⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ mi²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

to be soundly defeated by the enemy; to be routed by the enemy


peel me a grape

First recorded use by Mae West in the 1933 film I'm no Angel: "Beulah, (yes ma'am) peel me a grape."

His early, brilliant "Peel Me a Grape," which has long been one of Blossom Dearie's anthems, laughs at social ennui in the seventies and eighties in the way that Cole Porter laughed at it in the thirties: Peel me a grape, crush me some ice, Skin me a peach, save the fuzz for my pillow, Start me a smoke, talk to me nice, You gotta wine me and dine me, Don't try and fool me, bejewel me, Either amuse me or lose me, I'm gettin' hungry -- peel me a grape.

2006, Whitney Balliett -, American Singers: Twenty-Seven Portraits in Song, →ISBN, page 242:

Can't you hear Adam say to her, “Peel me a grape, Lilith.” And her response: “Peel it yourself! And while you are at it, where's dinner?”

2009, Ronald B. Allen, Beverly Allen, Liberated Traditionalism: Men and Women in Balance, →ISBN, page 91:

Half an hour later when dad and I ventured into the lounge, mum glaring at us with a face like thunder, Kim was lying contentedly next to Armalade in front of the fire, a real con merchant if ever there was one, basking in all the attention. Talk about peel me a grape!

2011, Maggie Graham, Me and My Animals, →ISBN, page 80:

“Daaaahlings I say, please refill my glass and peel me a grape.” She grinned and mugged it up for us gathered proletariat.

2011, Michael R. Häack, Passport: A Novel of Adventure and Intrigue, →ISBN, page 414:

A request to be pampered or to have one's whims indulged.


град идёт

град идёт • (grad idjót)


喜怒不形於色

ㄒㄧˇ ㄋㄨˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄩˊ ㄙㄜˋ

си ну бусинъюйсэ

/ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ nu⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ y³⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/hei̯³⁵ nou̯²² pɐt̚⁵ jɪŋ²¹ jyː⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵/

/ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ nu⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ y³⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/hei̯³⁵ nou̯²² pɐt̚⁵ jɪŋ²¹ jyː⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵/

Literally: happiness and rage do not take shape on one's countenance

one's facial expression does not reveal any emotion; to not reveal any emotion on one's face


不形於色

ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄩˊ ㄙㄜˋ

/pu⁵¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ y³⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ jɪŋ²¹ jyː⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵/

/pu⁵¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ y³⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ jɪŋ²¹ jyː⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵/


面如冠玉

ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄩˋ

мянь жу гуаньюй

/mi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ ku̯än⁵⁵ y⁵¹/

/mi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ ku̯än⁵⁵ y⁵¹/

面 (face) + 如 (like) + 冠玉 (an ornamental piece of jade which adorns a hat)

describes a man that has a striking or handsome face


none of your bees' wax

Alternative form of none of your beeswax


脣若塗脂

ㄔㄨㄣˊ ㄖㄨㄛˋ ㄊㄨˊ ㄓ

ㄔㄨㄣˊ ㄖㄨㄛˋ ㄊㄨˊ ㄓˇ

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ən³⁵ ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹ tʰu³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ən³⁵ ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹ tʰu³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sɵn²¹ jœːk̚² tʰou̯²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ən³⁵ ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹ tʰu³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/sɵn²¹ jœːk̚² tʰou̯²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵/


mind your own beeswax

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-mind your own beeswax.wav

Alteration of mind your own business. From the use of beeswax to cover blemishes in the 1800s.

Get back in the collar, and mind your own beeswax.

TRACY. (Rises) Mind your own beeswax, old Nosey Parker.

1939, Philip Barry, The Philadelphia Story: A Comedy in Three Acts, page 74:

“Say, how did he get all pink?”
“Aw, mind your own beeswax,” said Henry.

1950, Beverly Cleary, Henry Huggins, page 128:

“This has nothing to do with you, Kinsey, so mind your own beeswax.”

1995, Sue Grafton, L Is for Lawless, page 155:

mind your own business
mind your own business#English


none of your beeswax

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-none of your beeswax.wav

Alteration of none of your business. From the historical use of beeswax to cover up blemishes.

“Whatcha got in that bag?” asked Scooter.
“None of your beeswax,” answered Henry.

1950, Beverly Cleary, Henry Huggins, page 21:

BARBARA. That’s for me to know.
RANDY. Come on. Who?
BARBARA. None of your beeswax.

1977, Albert Ramsdell Gurney, Children, page 25:

“You can ask, but since it's really none of your beeswax, I think I'll keep my mouth shut on that score.”

1996, Stephen King, The Green Mile, page 74:

“We were just discussing your love life. Or lack thereof.”
“My love life is none of your beeswax,” she huffed.

2003, Augusten Burroughs, Running With Scissors: A Memoir, page 194:

A riposte to badgering questioning, expressing a refusal to answer, and an insistence that the questioner cease prying any further.

das geht dich einen feuchten Kehricht an


one in the eye for

The success of Firefox is one in the eye for Microsoft.

(idiomatic) An event or achievement which is unpleasant for someone, especially for those who considered it impossible or unwelcome; an annoyance.


燕頷虎鬚

ㄧㄢˋ ㄏㄢˋ ㄏㄨˇ ㄒㄩ

яньханьхусюй

/jɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ xän⁵¹ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕy⁵⁵/

/jiːn³³ hɐm¹³ fuː³⁵ sou̯⁵⁵/

/jɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ xän⁵¹ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕy⁵⁵/

/jiːn³³ hɐm¹³ fuː³⁵ sou̯⁵⁵/


勢如奔馬

ㄕˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄅㄣ ㄇㄚˇ

ши жу бэньма

/ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ pən⁵⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ pən⁵⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

勢 (aura; presence) + 如 (like) + 奔馬 (galloping horses)

to have an imposing manner; to have an intimidating presence


豹頭環眼

ㄅㄠˋ ㄊㄡˊ ㄏㄨㄢˊ ㄧㄢˇ

баотоухуаньянь

/pɑʊ̯⁵¹ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ xu̯än³⁵ jɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɑʊ̯⁵¹ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ xu̯än³⁵ jɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

(literary) describes a fierce looking man


面如重棗

ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄓㄨㄥˋ ㄗㄠˇ

мянь жу чжунцзао

/mi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹ t͡sɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/mi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹ t͡sɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

describes a face which is as red as the color of dark jujube fruit


相貌堂堂

ㄒㄧㄤˋ ㄇㄠˋ ㄊㄤˊ ㄊㄤˊ

сянмаотантан

/ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ mɑʊ̯⁵¹ tʰɑŋ³⁵ tʰɑŋ³⁵/

/ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ mɑʊ̯⁵¹ tʰɑŋ³⁵ tʰɑŋ³⁵/

a strong or stout appearance; someone who looks strong and imposing


威風凜凜

ㄨㄟ ㄈㄥ ㄌㄧㄣˇ ㄌㄧㄣˇ

вэйфэнлиньлинь

/weɪ̯⁵⁵ fɤŋ⁵⁵ lin²¹⁴⁻³⁵ lin²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/wɐi̯⁵⁵ fʊŋ⁵⁵ lɐm¹³ lɐm¹³/

/vi²⁴⁻¹¹ fuŋ²⁴ lim³¹ lim³¹/

/vi²⁴⁻¹¹ fuŋ²⁴ li̯aŋ³¹ li̯aŋ³¹/

/weɪ̯⁵⁵ fɤŋ⁵⁵ lin²¹⁴⁻³⁵ lin²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/wɐi̯⁵⁵ fʊŋ⁵⁵ lɐm¹³ lɐm¹³/

/vi²⁴⁻¹¹ fuŋ²⁴ lim³¹ lim³¹/

/vi²⁴⁻¹¹ fuŋ²⁴ li̯aŋ³¹ li̯aŋ³¹/


صلعم

Bashkir: с.ғ.с. (s.ğ.s.)

From صَلَّىٰ ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ (ṣallā llāhu ʕalayhi wasallama, “may God bless him and grant him peace”). The proper noun is re-vocalized from the initialism.

(Islam, eulogy, proscribed, initialism) PBUH (“peace be upon him”, following mention of the prophet Muhammad).


協力同心

ㄒㄧㄝˊ ㄌㄧˋ ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄒㄧㄣ

/ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ li⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

/hiːp̚³ lɪk̚² tʰʊŋ²¹ sɐm⁵⁵/

/ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ li⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

/hiːp̚³ lɪk̚² tʰʊŋ²¹ sɐm⁵⁵/

to join forces; to work together toward a common goal


同心協力

ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄒㄧㄝˊ ㄌㄧˋ

/tʰʊŋ³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ li⁵¹/

/tʰʊŋ²¹ sɐm⁵⁵ hiːp̚³ lɪk̚²/

/tɔŋ²⁴⁻²¹ sim⁴⁴⁻²² hiap̚⁴³⁻²¹ lek̚⁴³/

/tɔŋ²³⁻³³ sim⁴⁴⁻³³ hiap̚⁴⁻³² liɪk̚⁴/

/tɔŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ sim⁴⁴⁻³³ hiap̚⁴⁻³² liɪk̚⁴/

/taŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ sim⁴⁴⁻³³ hiap̚⁴⁻³² liɪk̚⁴/

/taŋ²³⁻³³ sim⁴⁴⁻³³ hiap̚⁴⁻³² liɪk̚⁴/

/tʰʊŋ³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ li⁵¹/

/tʰʊŋ²¹ sɐm⁵⁵ hiːp̚³ lɪk̚²/

/tɔŋ²⁴⁻²¹ sim⁴⁴⁻²² hiap̚⁴³⁻²¹ lek̚⁴³/

/tɔŋ²³⁻³³ sim⁴⁴⁻³³ hiap̚⁴⁻³² liɪk̚⁴/

/tɔŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ sim⁴⁴⁻³³ hiap̚⁴⁻³² liɪk̚⁴/

/taŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ sim⁴⁴⁻³³ hiap̚⁴⁻³² liɪk̚⁴/

/taŋ²³⁻³³ sim⁴⁴⁻³³ hiap̚⁴⁻³² liɪk̚⁴/


皇天后土

ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄏㄡˋ ㄊㄨˇ

хуантяньхоуту

/xu̯ɑŋ³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹ tʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/wɔːŋ²¹ tʰiːn⁵⁵ hɐu̯²² tʰou̯³⁵/

/*[ɢ]ʷˤaŋ l̥ˤi[n]|l̥ˤi[n] ɢˤ(r)oʔ tʰˤaʔ/

/*ɡʷaːŋ qʰl'iːn ɡoːʔ|ɡoːs l̥ʰaːʔ/

/xu̯ɑŋ³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹ tʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/wɔːŋ²¹ tʰiːn⁵⁵ hɐu̯²² tʰou̯³⁵/

/*ɡʷaːŋ qʰl'iːn ɡoːʔ|ɡoːs l̥ʰaːʔ/


救困扶危

ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄎㄨㄣˋ ㄈㄨˊ ㄨㄟ

ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄎㄨㄣˋ ㄈㄨˊ ㄨㄟˊ

цзю кунь фувэй

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ kʰu̯ən⁵¹ fu³⁵ weɪ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ kʰu̯ən⁵¹ fu³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ kʰu̯ən⁵¹ fu³⁵ weɪ̯⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ kʰu̯ən⁵¹ fu³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵/

to come to the assistance of those in crisis


few sandwiches short of a picnic

a few sandwiches short of a picnic (canonical)

en-uk-a few sandwiches short of a picnic.ogg

en-au-few sandwiches short of a picnic.ogg

I think the lady down the road is a few sandwiches short of a picnic—you often hear strange bangings at odd hours in the morning.

He said to hang on, then went to his bike and came back with a black case. When he opened it I suddenly thought I was dealing with someone a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

2013, A. American, Surviving Home, Penguin, →ISBN, page 238:

“He was a nice fellow, but we all know he was a few sandwiches short of a picnic.”

2014, Sheila Connolly, Scandal in Skibbereen, Penguin, →ISBN, page 216:

(idiomatic) Exhibiting disquiet or unsoundness of mind; not sane; mad.

не все до́ма (ne vse dóma, literally “not everyone is ar home”)

винтика в голове не хватает (vintika v golove ne xvatajet, literally “one bolt on one's head is missing”)

куку́хой пое́хавший m (kukúxoj pojéxavšij, literally “(one has) the head having driven away”)

ша́рики за ро́лики зае́хали (šáriki za róliki zajéxali, literally “balls rolled over casters”)


lam shagu awng dang u ga

/ləm ʃəɡu əŋ dəŋ u ɡə/


я не понимаю

я не понима́ю

я не понима́ю • (ja ne ponimáju)

я не понима́ю (canonical)
ja ne ponimáju (romanization)


措手不及

ㄘㄨㄛˋ ㄕㄡˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧˊ

/t͡sʰu̯ɔ⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵/

/t͡sʰou̯³³ sɐu̯³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ kʰɐp̚²/

/t͡sʰu̯ɔ⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵/

/t͡sʰou̯³³ sɐu̯³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ kʰɐp̚²/

We should concentrate a big force under cover beforehand alongside the route which the enemy is sure to take, and while he is on the move, advance suddenly to encircle and attack him before he knows what is happening, and thus quickly conclude the battle.

1938, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《論持久戰》 (On Protracted War), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

Wǒ yù jiāng dàbīng yìnbì jíjié yú dí bìjīng tōnglù zhī cè, chéng dí yùndòng zhī jì, tūrán qiánjìn, bāowéi ér gōngjī zhī, dǎ tā yīge cuòshǒubùjí, xùnsù jiějué zhàndòu.

我預將大兵蔭蔽集結於敵必經通路之側，乘敵運動之際，突然前進，包圍而攻擊之，打他一個措手不及，迅速解決戰鬥。

我预将大兵荫蔽集结于敌必经通路之侧，乘敌运动之际，突然前进，包围而攻击之，打他一个措手不及，迅速解决战斗。


который час

кото́рый час?

кото́рый час? • (kotóryj čas?)

кото́рый час (canonical)
kotóryj čas? (romanization)


不計其數

ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄕㄨˋ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ʂu⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɐi̯³³ kʰei̯²¹ sou̯³³/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ ke²¹⁻⁵³ ki²⁴⁻²² sɔ²¹/

/put̚⁵⁻²⁴ ke⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ ki²⁴⁻²² sɔ⁴¹/

/put̚³²⁻⁵ ke²¹⁻⁵³ ki¹³⁻²² sɔ²¹/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ ke¹¹⁻⁵³ ki²⁴⁻¹¹ sɔ¹¹/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ ke²¹⁻⁴¹ ki²³⁻³³ sɔ²¹/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ʂu⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɐi̯³³ kʰei̯²¹ sou̯³³/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ ke²¹⁻⁵³ ki²⁴⁻²² sɔ²¹/

/put̚⁵⁻²⁴ ke⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ ki²⁴⁻²² sɔ⁴¹/

/put̚³²⁻⁵ ke²¹⁻⁵³ ki¹³⁻²² sɔ²¹/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ ke¹¹⁻⁵³ ki²⁴⁻¹¹ sɔ¹¹/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ ke²¹⁻⁴¹ ki²³⁻³³ sɔ²¹/


安之若素

ㄢ ㄓ ㄖㄨㄛˋ ㄙㄨˋ

/ˀän⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ su⁵¹/

/ɔːn⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ jœːk̚² sou̯³³/

/ˀän⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ su⁵¹/

/ɔːn⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ jœːk̚² sou̯³³/

to bear hardship with equanimity; to regard wrongdoing with equanimity


馬不及鞍

ㄇㄚˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧˊ ㄢ

ма буцзи ань

/mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵ ˀän⁵⁵/

/mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵ ˀän⁵⁵/

Literally: not enough time to saddle one's horse

in a hurry; literally - no time to saddle the horses


kabu kara dik htum shangai nhtoi rai u ga!

/ɡəbu ɡərə dik htum ʃəŋai nθɔɪ rai u ɡa/


DEP

Initialism of descanse en paz (“RIP (requiescat in pace)”).


赤縄を結ぶ

赤縄を結ぶ (canonical)
sekijō o musubu (romanization)

The bethrothed are to tie the knot. The newlyweds' fingers are bound together by a red rope, symbolizing that their destinies are now bound forever.


沈魚落雁

沈魚落雁 (canonical)
chingyorakugan (romanization)

From Middle Chinese 沈魚落雁 (MC drim ngjo lak ngaenH).

(idiomatic) Beauty truly can be stunning. Lit. Such was her beauty that, in a fluster, fish sank to the bottom of the sea and geese dropped from the sky.


心生一計

ㄒㄧㄣ ㄕㄥ ㄧ ㄐㄧˋ

синьшэнъицзи

/ɕin⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹/

/ɕin⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹/

to suddenly have an idea; to suddenly hatch a scheme in one's head


佳人薄命

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (佳人薄命):
* → Japanese: 佳人薄命(かじんはくめい) (kajin hakumei)
* → Korean: 가인박명(佳人薄命) (gainbangmyeong)

ㄐㄧㄚ ㄖㄣˊ ㄅㄛˊ ㄇㄧㄥˋ

цзяжэньбомин

/t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵ pu̯ɔ³⁵ miŋ⁵¹/

/t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵ pu̯ɔ³⁵ miŋ⁵¹/

whom the gods love die young
whom the gods love die young

a fair lady's destiny is thin indeed; whom the gods love die young


galoi mung garum na gin gin re

you're welcome (literally, always ready to help).


na hpung nambat gaw kaning ta

what's your phone number
what's your phone number


衣錦の栄

衣錦の栄 (canonical)
ikin no ei (romanization)

From Middle Chinese 衣錦之榮 (MC 'j+j kimX tsyi hjwaeng), related to Chinese 衣錦還鄉／衣锦还乡 (yījǐnhuánxiāng).

zh-l

衣錦還鄉／衣锦还乡 (yījǐnhuánxiāng)

return of the prodigal son
return of the prodigal son

The return of the prodigal son. Lit. The glory of returning to one's village wearing golden embroidery.


多々益々善し

ja-pos

た た ます ます よし

多(た)々(た)益(ます)々(ます)善(よ)し • (ta ta masu masu yoshi)

多々益々善し (canonical)
ta ta masu masu yoshi (romanization)

Calque of Literary Chinese 多多益善 (duōduōyìshàn).


命世之才

ㄇㄧㄥˋ ㄕˋ ㄓ ㄘㄞˊ

минши чжи цай

/miŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵/

/miŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵/

a well known individual who has outstanding abilities


鶏群の一鶴

ja-pos

鶏(けい)群(ぐん)の一(いっ)鶴(かく) • (keigun no ikkaku)

鶏群の一鶴 (canonical)
keigun no ikkaku (romanization)

Based on a passage from the Book of Jin.
Semi-calque of Chinese 鶴立雞群／鹤立鸡群 (hèlìjīqún, literally “a single crane standing out amongst a flock of chickens”).

calque

a great man standing out among the crowd


WRASAP

as soon as possible
as soon as possible#English

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of will reply as soon as possible.


舟に刻みて剣を求む

ja-pos

ふね に きざみて けん を もとむ

舟(ふね)に刻(きざ)みて剣(けん)を求(もと)む • (fune ni kizamite ken o motomu)

舟に刻みて剣を求む (canonical)
fune ni kizamite ken o motomu (romanization)

Literally, “to carve a mark on a ship (where a sword was dropped into the sea) in the hope of finding the sword later near that carving”. Calque of Literary Chinese 刻舟求劍 (kèzhōuqiújiàn).

calque

(figuratively) Foolish it is to ignore that times are changing.


elmo

enough, let's move on
enough, let's move on#English

(Corporate slang) Initialism of enough, let's move on.


門前雀羅を張る

ja-pos

もんぜん じゃくら を はる

門(もん)前(ぜん)雀(じゃく)羅(ら)を張(は)る • (monzen jakura o haru)

門前雀羅を張る (canonical)
monzen jakura o haru (romanization)

* From Literary Chinese 門可羅雀 (ménkěluóquè).

Desolated is a door when no guests come knocking. Lit. To hang a net on the door and use it to catch sparrows (as no guests ever come).


JK

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of just kidding.


漫山塞野

ㄇㄢˋ ㄕㄢ ㄙㄜˋ ㄧㄝˇ

маньшань сэ е

/män⁵¹ ʂän⁵⁵ sɤ⁵¹ jɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/män⁵¹ ʂän⁵⁵ sɤ⁵¹ jɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

spread out all over the mountains and plains; numerous


自有公論

ㄗˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄌㄨㄣˋ

цзы ю гунлунь

/t͡sz̩⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ lu̯ən⁵¹/

/t͡sz̩⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ lu̯ən⁵¹/

naturally have the support of the people; naturally have public opinion in one's favor


瓜田に履を納れず、李下に冠を正さず

かでん に くつ を いれず、りか に かんむり を たださず

瓜(か)田(でん)に履(くつ)を納(い)れず、李(り)下(か)に冠(かんむり)を正(ただ)さず • (kaden ni kutsu o irezu, rika ni kanmuri o tadasazu)

瓜田に履を納れず、李下に冠を正さず (canonical)

[ka̠de̞ɲ̟ ɲ̟i kɯ̟t͡sɨ o̞ iɾe̞zɨ ɾʲika̠ ɲ̟i kã̠mːɯ̟ɾʲi o̞ ta̠da̠sa̠zɨ]

Calque from Literary Chinese 瓜田不納履，李下不整冠 (literally “Do not put on sandals in a field of melons, and do not adjust your hat under a plum tree (for you might be suspected of stealing plums and melons).”) from Cao Zhi's Jūnzǐ Xíng (《君子行》, Three Kingdoms period).

calque

かでんにくつをいれず、りかにかんむりをたださず

zh-l

*瓜田不納履，李下不整冠


я так думаю

head

я так ду́маю

я так ду́маю • (ja tak dúmaju)

я так ду́маю (canonical)
ja tak dúmaju (romanization)


я так не думаю

я так не дума́ю

я так не дума́ю • (ja tak ne dumáju)

я так не дума́ю (canonical)
ja tak ne dumáju (romanization)


как тебя зовут

как тебя́ зову́т?

как тебя́ зову́т? • (kak tebjá zovút?)

как тебя́ зову́т (canonical)
kak tebjá zovút? (romanization)

Literally, “how do they call you [familiar]”.


как вас зовут

head

как вас зову́т?

как вас зову́т? • (kak vas zovút?)

как вас зову́т (canonical)
kak vas zovút? (romanization)

Literally, “how do they call you [formal]”.


какой у тебя телефон

head

како́й у тебя телефо́н?

како́й у тебя телефо́н? • (kakój u tebja telefón?)

како́й у тебя телефо́н (canonical)
kakój u tebja telefón? (romanization)

en-какой_у_тебя_телефон-ru-phrase-TD8FTJpH


какой у вас телефон

како́й у вас телефо́н?

како́й у вас телефо́н? • (kakój u vas telefón?)

како́й у вас телефо́н (canonical)
kakój u vas telefón? (romanization)


откуда вы родом

отку́да вы ро́дом?

отку́да вы ро́дом? • (otkúda vy ródom?)

отку́да вы ро́дом (canonical)
otkúda vy ródom? (romanization)


откуда ты родом

отку́да ты ро́дом?

отку́да ты ро́дом? • (otkúda ty ródom?)

отку́да ты ро́дом (canonical)
otkúda ty ródom? (romanization)


какая сейчас погода

кака́я сейча́с пого́да?

кака́я сейча́с пого́да? • (kakája sejčás pogóda?)

кака́я сейча́с пого́да (canonical)
kakája sejčás pogóda? (romanization)


меня зовут

меня́ зову́т ...

меня́ зову́т ... (canonical)
menjá zovút ... (romanization)

Меня́ зову́т Пётр.


義同生死

ㄧˋ ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄕㄥ ㄙˇ

/i⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/i⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

to be bound by oath to live and die together


骨に刻み、肝に銘ずる

ja-pos

ほね に きざみ、きも に めいずる

骨(ほね)に刻(きざ)み、肝(きも)に銘(めい)ずる • (hone ni kizami, kimo ni meizuru)

骨に刻み、肝に銘ずる (canonical)
hone ni kizami, kimo ni meizuru (romanization)

Calque of Literary Chinese 刻骨銘心 (kègǔmíngxīn). Literally "carved on one's bones and set in one's liver."

calque

To have one's resolve carved on the forehead.


從天而降

ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄦˊ ㄐㄧㄤˋ

цунтяньэрцзян

/t͡sʰʊŋ³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰʊŋ²¹ tʰiːn⁵⁵ jiː²¹ kɔːŋ³³/

/t͡sʰʊŋ³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰʊŋ²¹ tʰiːn⁵⁵ jiː²¹ kɔːŋ³³/

to happen all of a sudden; to happen out of the blue; to come out of nowhere


say again

I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. Please say again?

(idiomatic, colloquial) "What did you say?" or "Repeat what you have said." A polite formula used when one has not heard or understood what has been said.

Bravo Six, say again, over.

Bravo Actual, I say again: Eight foot mobiles moving east, over.

(procedure word, military) To repeat part of or entire message transmitted over the radio, used instead of "repeat" which is an artillery procedure word.


搖旗擂鼓

ㄧㄠˊ ㄑㄧˊ ㄌㄟˊ ㄍㄨˇ

/jɑʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ leɪ̯³⁵ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɑʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ leɪ̯³⁵ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

(archaic) wave banners and beat the drums (of war)


落荒而走

ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄏㄨㄢ ㄍㄜˊㄦ ㄗㄡˇ

лохуаньгэрцзоу

/lu̯ɔ⁵¹ xu̯än⁵⁵ kɤɻ³⁵ t͡soʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/lu̯ɔ⁵¹ xu̯än⁵⁵ kɤɻ³⁵ t͡soʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/


飛砂走石

ㄈㄟ ㄕㄚ ㄗㄡˇ ㄕˊ

фэй ша цзоу ши

/feɪ̯⁵⁵ ʂä⁵⁵ t͡soʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/fei̯⁵⁵ saː⁵⁵ t͡sɐu̯³⁵ sɛːk̚²/

/feɪ̯⁵⁵ ʂä⁵⁵ t͡soʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/fei̯⁵⁵ saː⁵⁵ t͡sɐu̯³⁵ sɛːk̚²/

dust and sand flying every which way (because of the wind)


自天而下

ㄗˋ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄦˊ ㄒㄧㄚˋ

/t͡sz̩⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹/

/t͡siː²² tʰiːn⁵⁵ jiː²¹ haː²²/

/t͡sz̩⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹/

/t͡siː²² tʰiːn⁵⁵ jiː²¹ haː²²/


semper eadem

[ˈs̠ɛmpɛr ˈeäd̪ɛ̃ˑ]


pendre la crémallière

pendre la crémaillère
pendre la crémaillère#French


jeg er forelsket i dig

head

jeg er forelsket i dig (I'm in love with you)


дай мне свой телефон

да́й мне свой телефо́н

да́й мне свой телефо́н • (dáj mne svoj telefón)

да́й мне свой телефо́н (canonical)
dáj mne svoj telefón (romanization)

Literally, “give me your telephone”, using the familiar "you".

en-дай_мне_свой_телефон-ru-phrase-TD8FTJpH


дайте мне свой телефон

да́йте мне свой телефо́н

да́йте мне свой телефо́н • (dájte mne svoj telefón)

да́йте мне свой телефо́н (canonical)
dájte mne svoj telefón (romanization)

Literally, “give me your telephone”, using the formal "you".

en-дайте_мне_свой_телефон-ru-phrase-qPKERxeW


help ma boab

goodness gracious me
goodness gracious me

expressing frustration, amazement, etc.; ≈ crikey, goodness gracious me


I like pie

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-I like pie.wav

Can somebody tell me what my IP address is? I'm new to the Internet.
I like pie.

[replying to: Listen up, fuck for brains !!! Don't make off topic posts to MFW. You stupid cock sucking fool !!! My fist meets your face if you do it again. Got it BOY !!"] I like pie.

2003 May 4, Brian Link, “Re: Potpourri”, in misc.fitness.weights (Usenet):

[replying to: Moron you post OFF SUBJECT in here on almost every subject"] I like pie.

2009 August 30, "Vitriol Trollsbane", “Re: Larry Hasn't Changed”, in alt.online-service.webtv (Usenet):

(derogatory, Internet slang) You are stupid; said as if lowering oneself to an equally moronic state of mind.


goed, met jou?

fine, and you? (possible response to the question "Hoe gaat het?" how are you)


天下大亂

ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄉㄚˋ ㄌㄨㄢˋ

тяньсядалуань

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ lu̯än⁵¹/

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ lu̯än⁵¹/


招降納順

ㄓㄠ ㄒㄧㄤˊ ㄋㄚˋ ㄕㄨㄣˋ

чжаосяннашунь

/ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ³⁵ nä⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂu̯ən⁵¹/

/t͡siːu̯⁵⁵ hɔːŋ²¹ naːp̚² sɵn²²/

/ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ³⁵ nä⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂu̯ən⁵¹/

/t͡siːu̯⁵⁵ hɔːŋ²¹ naːp̚² sɵn²²/

(archaic) to entreat the enemy to surrender and allow those who are obedient (to the government) to rejoin society


海內一統

ㄏㄞˇ ㄋㄟˋ ㄧ ㄊㄨㄥˇ

/xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ neɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ tʰʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/


得勝之師

дэшэн чжи ши

dɛšɛn čži ši

/tɤ³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/tɤ³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

an army that is flush with victory; a victorious army


虎體熊腰

ㄏㄨˇ ㄊㄧˇ ㄒㄩㄥˊ ㄧㄠ

/xu²¹⁴⁻³⁵ tʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ʊŋ³⁵ jɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/xu²¹⁴⁻³⁵ tʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ʊŋ³⁵ jɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

虎背熊腰 虎背熊腰#Chinese

Synonym of 虎背熊腰 (hǔbèixióngyāo, “to be of a stocky and imposing build”)


不可勝計

ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄕㄥˋ ㄐㄧˋ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄕㄥ ㄐㄧˋ

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɤŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi⁵¹/

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹/

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɤŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi⁵¹/

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹/


DWB

A play on DWI (“driving while intoxicated”).

jill We [Jill and her husband James] call it, "Driving While Black." We have a . . . nice car. So we got pulled over for a DWB. . . .

1995, Paul C. Rosenblatt, Terri A. Karis, Richard D. Powell, Multiracial Couples: Black and White Voices (Understanding Families), SAGE Publications, →ISBN, page 147:

Initialism of driving while black (or brown): a sarcastic reference to racial profiling by police investigating driving offences.


賣官鬻爵

ㄇㄞˋ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄩˋ ㄐㄩㄝˊ

майгуань юй цзюэ

/maɪ̯⁵¹ ku̯än⁵⁵ y⁵¹ t͡ɕy̯ɛ³⁵/

/maːi̯²² kuːn⁵⁵ jʊk̚² t͡sœːk̚³/

/maɪ̯⁵¹ ku̯än⁵⁵ y⁵¹ t͡ɕy̯ɛ³⁵/

/maːi̯²² kuːn⁵⁵ jʊk̚² t͡sœːk̚³/

(archaic) to take bribes in exchange for granting an official or noble title


秋毫無犯

ㄑㄧㄡ ㄏㄠˊ ㄨˊ ㄈㄢˋ

/t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵ xɑʊ̯³⁵ u³⁵ fän⁵¹/

/t͡sʰɐu̯⁵⁵ hou̯²¹ mou̯²¹ faːn²²/

/t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵ xɑʊ̯³⁵ u³⁵ fän⁵¹/

/t͡sʰɐu̯⁵⁵ hou̯²¹ mou̯²¹ faːn²²/

to not even commit the slightest violation


稠人廣坐

ㄔㄡˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄍㄨㄤˇ ㄗㄨㄛˋ

чоужэнь гуанцзо

/ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯³⁵ ʐən³⁵ ku̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯³⁵ ʐən³⁵ ku̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹/


終日不倦

ㄓㄨㄥ ㄖˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄩㄢˋ

zhōngrì bùjuàn [Phonetic:zhōngrì bújuàn]

чжунжи буцзюань

/ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕy̯ɛn⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕy̯ɛn⁵¹/

to not get tired the whole day long; to do something all day and not get tired


鬱鬱不樂

ㄩˋ ㄩˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄜˋ

/y⁵¹⁻⁵³ y⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ lɤ⁵¹/

/y⁵¹⁻⁵³ y⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ lɤ⁵¹/


aikainen lintu madon nappaa

[ˈɑ̝i̯kɑ̝i̯ne̞n ˈlin̪t̪u ˈmɑ̝do̞n ˈnɑ̝pːɑ̝ː]

the early bird gets the worm
the early bird gets the worm


模稜兩可

模棱两可
模棱兩可
摸稜兩可

ㄇㄛˊ ㄌㄥˊ ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄎㄜˇ

/mu̯ɔ³⁵ lɤŋ³⁵ li̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/mou̯²¹ lɪŋ²¹ lœːŋ¹³ hɔː³⁵/

/mu̯ɔ³⁵ lɤŋ³⁵ li̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/mou̯²¹ lɪŋ²¹ lœːŋ¹³ hɔː³⁵/


kaikkien maiden proletaarit, liittykää yhteen!

Proletaareilla ei siinä ole muuta menetettävää kuin kahleensa. Mutta voitettavana heillä on koko maailma. KAIKKIEN MAIDEN PROLETAARIT, LIITTYKÄÄ YHTEEN!

1978 [1848], Marx & Engels., “Kommunistisen puolueen manifesti”, in Valitut teokset, volume 2, Moscow: Progress Publishers, archived from the original on 2023-08-22, unknown translator, digitized by Joonas Laine for the Marxist Internet Archive:

The proletarians have nothing to lose in it but their chains. But they have the whole world to win. PROLETARIANS OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!

workers of the world, unite
workers of the world, unite

kaikkien maiden työläiset, liittykää yhteen

workers of the world, unite (Marxist slogan)


AEB

(medicine) Alternative form of aeb; Initialism of as evidenced by.


禍在目前

ㄏㄨㄛˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄇㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄢˊ

хо цзай муцянь

/xu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/xu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

disaster is upon us; disaster is imminent


欺君罔上

ㄑㄧ ㄐㄩㄣ ㄨㄤˇ ㄕㄤˋ

цицзюньваншан

/t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɑŋ⁵¹/

/hei̯⁵⁵ kʷɐn⁵⁵ mɔːŋ¹³ sœːŋ²²/

/t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɑŋ⁵¹/

/hei̯⁵⁵ kʷɐn⁵⁵ mɔːŋ¹³ sœːŋ²²/


ご馳走様

ご馳走様 (canonical)
go-chisō-sama (romanization)

ご馳走様でした ご馳走様でした#Japanese

Ellipsis of ご馳走様でした (ごちそうさまでした).


危在旦夕

ㄨㄟ ㄗㄞˋ ㄉㄢˋ ㄒㄧ

ㄨㄟˊ ㄗㄞˋ ㄉㄢˋ ㄒㄧˋ

вэйцзайданьси

/weɪ̯⁵⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ tän⁵¹ ɕi⁵⁵/

/weɪ̯³⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ tän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕi⁵¹/

/ŋɐi̯²¹ t͡sɔːi̯²² taːn³³ t͡sɪk̚²/

/ɡui²⁴⁻²² t͡sai²²⁻²¹ tan²¹⁻⁵³ siɪk̚⁴/

/ɡui²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡sai³³⁻¹¹ tan¹¹⁻⁵³ sit̚⁴/

/ɡui²³⁻³³ t͡sai³³⁻²¹ tan²¹⁻⁴¹ sit̚⁴/

/weɪ̯⁵⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ tän⁵¹ ɕi⁵⁵/

/weɪ̯³⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ tän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕi⁵¹/

/ŋɐi̯²¹ t͡sɔːi̯²² taːn³³ t͡sɪk̚²/

/ɡui²⁴⁻²² t͡sai²²⁻²¹ tan²¹⁻⁵³ siɪk̚⁴/

/ɡui²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡sai³³⁻¹¹ tan¹¹⁻⁵³ sit̚⁴/

/ɡui²³⁻³³ t͡sai³³⁻²¹ tan²¹⁻⁴¹ sit̚⁴/

The world is crashing down upon us, and yet Your Majesty is enjoying wine with the eunuchs!

Tiānxià wēi zài dànxī, bìxià shàng zì yǔ yānhuàn gòng yǐn yē!

天下危在旦夕，陛下尚自與閹宦共飲耶！

天下危在旦夕，陛下尚自与阉宦共饮耶！

in imminent danger; on the brink of crisis


workers of the world, unite

Calque of German Proletarier aller Länder, vereinigt euch (literally “working men / proletarians of all countries, unite!”), a phrase which originates in the The Communist Manifesto and is one of the most famous rallying cries of communism.

clq

Laborers are encouraged to unionize or otherwise engage in collective action on a global scale in order to use the strength of their numbers to obtain better working conditions.

apʼroletʼarcʷa atʷʼəlakʷa zegʲə rĉʼə iqʼow, ŝʷĉejdəŝʷkʼəl

апролетарцәа атәылақәа зегьы рҿы иҟоу, шәҽеидышәкыл

proletarë të të gjitha vendeve, bashkohuni

bötə ildərźeñ proletariyźəre, berləşegeź

бөтә илдәрҙең пролетарийҙәре, берләшегеҙ

herrialde guztietako proletarioak, elkar zaitezte

proletárii ot vsíčki stráni, sǎedinjávajte se

пролета́рии от вси́чки стра́ни, съединя́вайте се

пролетариатторэ гэмгэнутэкин, ӄумэкэтгытык

пӗтӗм тӗнчери пролетарисем, пӗрлешӗр

pĕt̬ĕm t̬ĕnč̬eri prolet̬aris̬em, pĕrleš̬ĕr

prolétaires de tous les pays, unissez-vous

e nā limhana o kēlā me kēia 'āina, e hui pū

барлык эллердин пролетарлары, бирлесиниз

barlyq elderdıñ proletarlary, bırıgıñder

барлық елдердің пролетарлары, бірігіңдер

bardık ölkölördün proletarları, birikkile

бардык өлкөлөрдүн пролетарлары, бириккиле

ຊົນຊັ້ນກຳມະຊີບທົ່ວໂລກ ຈົ່ງສາມັກຄີກັນ

son san kam ma sīp thūa lōk chong sā mak khī kan

пролете́ри од си́те зе́мји, обеди́нете се

bäri kırallardıñ proletarparı, birlesiñiz

баьри кыраллардынъ пролетарпары, бирлесинъиз

proletaris de totes los païses, unissètz-vos

proletariusze wszystkich krajów, łączcie się

пролетарҳои ҳамаи мамлакатҳо, як шавед

proletarho-yi hama-yi mamlakatho, yak šaved

barlıq illärneñ proletariyları, berläşegez

барлык илләрнең пролетарийлары, берләшегез

ชนชั้นกรรมาชีพทั่วโลก จงสามัคคีกัน

chon-chán gam-maa-chîip tûua lôok jong sǎa-mák-kii gan

bügü çurttarnıñ proletariyleri, kattıjıñar

бүгү чурттарның пролетарийлери, каттыжыңар

вань странаосысь пролетарийёс, огазеяське

барлиқ əллəр пролетарлири, бирлишиңлар

barliq əllər prolëtarliri, birlishinglar

proletaryer fun ale lender, fareynikt zikh

פּראָלעטאַריער פֿון אַלע לענדער, פֿאַראייניקט זיך

gyoengq bouxfouzcanj daengx seiqgyaiq, lienzhab hwnjdaeuj


TINSTAAFL

1952, Ethics magazine, cited in 2006, Ralph Keyes, The Quote Verifier: Who Said What, Where, and When, Macmillan, page 70,
Professor Alvin Hansen's famous TINSTAAFL formula--"There is no such thing as a free lunch"
[Keyes adds, "This acronym had already appeared in a 1949 newspaper column."]

there's no such thing as a free lunch#English

Acronym of there's no such thing as a free lunch; an alternative to TANSTAAFL


CPT

Carriage Paid To
Carriage Paid To#English

(Incoterm) Initialism of Carriage Paid To.


kA

Nur was mach ich jetzt ?!? Hab kA wie ich
1. das System "reparieren" soll
2. den Fehler analysieren kann ...welche Tools bietet XP ?

2002 April 3, Micha D., “Probleme start Win XP ... gibt es Tools um den Fehler zu lokalisieren?”, in microsoft.public.de.german.windowsxp.setup (Usenet):

Also das heißt für mich wäre das kein Problem, aber ich muss es meinem Vater so einfach wie möglich machen, denn der hat wirklich kA von Linux und kommt nur mit einer einfachen grafischen Oberfläche klar.

2002 April 14, Joachim 'The elk' Redies, “Scannen unter normalen Benutzern”, in de.comp.os.unix.linux.moderated (Usenet):

Und komischerweise hab ich's jetzt auch zum funktionieren gebracht undzwar indem ich Win2K installiert hab - kA warum, aber FF8 läuft jetzt absolut einwandfrei, sogar über TV-Out.

2002 July 21, Psyduck, “Final Fantasy 8”, in de.rec.spiele.computer.adventure (Usenet):

Leider scheinen viele Hängerkunden ja wirklich technisch absolut kA zu haben, dass sie sich mit goldnen Verkäuferworten abspeisen lassen.

2002 October 30, Frank Mechelhoff, “Pferdeanhänger”, in de.rec.tiere.pferde (Usenet):

Sorry davon hab ich wirklich kA. Ich weiß nich was ich für eins hab ...

2004 April 6, Joachim Redies, “Komischer RAM 224 MB ??”, in de.comp.hardware.misc (Usenet):

> Wie kommen die auf die Idee, dass du 4 Jahre lang einen Fernseher hattest,
> aber
> keine Gebühren bezahlt hast?
kA! Ich bin 1999 aus meinem Elternhaus ausgezogen und habe mich bei der GEZ mit einem der ohnehin regelmäßig zugesandten Schreiben angemeldet.

2006 August 2, Lutz Mermann, “GEZ nach 4 Jahren”, in de.soc.recht.misc (Usenet):

Das Problem ist aber, das anscheinend manche nie fertig werden. Hab kA warum. Hab auch schon thread.exit() an's Ende der run() Methoden geschrieben, hilft aber nix.

2007 April 20, Mathias Panzenboeck, “python und threads (threading.Thread)”, in de.comp.lang.python (Usenet):

Ps. Könnt ihr diese Nachricht verbreiten? Ich hab kA in welchen Newslettern, Foren, Mailingslisten oder Seiten ihr aktiv seid :)

2010 October 6, phoet, “Offtopic: Reeperbahnfestival”, in Cocoaheads Hamburg (Usenet):

kA. *g*

2010 November 19, Renate, “Re: Bitte keine Werbung”, in de.alt.dateien.misc (Usenet):

Ich hatte auch mal welche, kA wo die abgeblieben sind.

2011 August 30, Renate, “Re: Bade-Entlein”, in de.alt.dateien.misc (Usenet):

(Internet slang) Alternative spelling of k. A.


斬草除根

to take out the roots while removing weeds

ㄓㄢˇ ㄘㄠˇ ㄔㄨˊ ㄍㄣ

чжаньцаочугэнь

/ʈ͡ʂän²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu³⁵ kən⁵⁵/

/t͡saːm³⁵ t͡sʰou̯³⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯²¹ kɐn⁵⁵/

/t͡san²¹³⁻²⁴ t͡sʰau²¹³⁻¹³ t͡ɕʰu²⁴ kiɛn⁴²/

/t͡sam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰau⁵³ tu²⁴⁻²² kun⁴⁴/

/t͡sam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰau⁵³ tu²⁴⁻¹¹ kun⁴⁴/

/t͡sam⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰau⁴¹ ti²³⁻³³ kin⁴⁴/

/t͡saːm³⁵ t͡sʰou̯³⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯²¹ kɐn⁵⁵/

/t͡sam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰau⁵³ tu²⁴⁻²² kun⁴⁴/

/t͡sam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰau⁵³ tu²⁴⁻¹¹ kun⁴⁴/

/t͡sam⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰau⁴¹ ti²³⁻³³ kin⁴⁴/

If you don't nip this in the bud, it will eventually be the death of you.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14ᵗʰ century CE

Ruò bù zhǎncǎochúgēn, bì wéi sàngshēn zhī běn.

若不斬草除根，必為喪身之本。

若不斩草除根，必为丧身之本。

to root out; to nip in the bud; to eliminate completely

斬草不除根，春風吹又生／斩草不除根，春风吹又生

zhǎn cǎo bù chúgēn, chūnfēng chuī yòu shēng


launa lambið gráa

head

launa lambið gráa (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative launaði lambið gráa, supine launað lambið gráa)

launaði lambið gráa (indicative past singular third-person)
launað lambið gráa (supine)

From the saga of Heiðarvíga. In the year 1000, a man named Styr had just killed the farmer Þórhalli from Jörfi who had two children; Áslaug and Gestur. His son Gestur was a weak and backward child, who was not likely to avenge his father's death. Still Styr decided to recompense Gestur for the patricide with a grey heimalningur (“home-fed lamb”). Later however (in the year 1007-1008) Gestur sneaks up to Styr while supping and slashes with an ax full force in Styr's head. He hits behind Styr's right ear so that the brain shows and Gestur speaks; “þar launaði ég þér lambið gráa” which means “with this I've repaid you that grey lamb” and continues to run out the back door. The words themselves come from launa (“recompense”) and lambið (“the lamb”) the definite accusative of lamb (“a lamb”) and gráa the weak declension accusative form of grár (“grey”).

(idiomatic, transitive, governs the dative) to get revenge on somebody, to take vengeance on somebody


垂簾聽政

ㄔㄨㄟˊ ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄊㄧㄥ ㄓㄥˋ

ㄔㄨㄟˊ ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄊㄧㄥˋ ㄓㄥˋ

чуйляньтинчжэн

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯eɪ̯³⁵ li̯ɛn³⁵ tʰiŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯eɪ̯³⁵ li̯ɛn³⁵ tʰiŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹/

/sɵy̯²¹ liːm²¹ tʰɪŋ³³ t͡sɪŋ³³/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯eɪ̯³⁵ li̯ɛn³⁵ tʰiŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯eɪ̯³⁵ li̯ɛn³⁵ tʰiŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹/

/sɵy̯²¹ liːm²¹ tʰɪŋ³³ t͡sɪŋ³³/

The idiom arose from a practice in ancient China, by which a royal lady, as an empress or empress dowager, was allowed to preside over the imperial court without actually being seen by her subjects, because women were prohibited from politics. This would usually be done by the mother of a child emperor.

to handle matters of state behind a curtain

His Majesty's imperial body is unwell and now needs rest. We earnestly beg Empress Dowager to rule the empire from behind the curtain, so as to pacify public sentiment throughout this realm under heaven!

Huángshàng lóngtǐ wéihé, zhèng xūyào jìngyǎng. Kěnqǐng huángtàihòu chuíliántīngzhèng, yǐ ān tiānxià rénxīn!

皇上龍體違和，正需要靜養。懇請皇太后垂簾聽政，以安天下人心！

皇上龙体违和，正需要静养。恳请皇太后垂帘听政，以安天下人心！

(historical) (of female royal members, e.g. empress or empress dowager) to rule in place of a monarch; to serve as regent


atm

(Internet slang, text messaging) Alternative letter-case form of ATM.


feliz Navidad y próspero Año Nuevo

¡Feliz Navidad y próspero Año Nuevo! (canonical)

/feˌliθ nabiˌdad i ˌpɾospeɾo ˌaɲo ˈnwebo/

[feˌliθ̬ na.β̞iˌð̞að̞ i ˌpɾos.pe.ɾo ˌa.ɲo ˈnwe.β̞o]

/feˌlis nabiˌdad i ˌpɾospeɾo ˌaɲo ˈnwebo/

[feˌliz na.β̞iˌð̞að̞ i ˌpɾos.pe.ɾo ˌa.ɲo ˈnwe.β̞o]

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year


危機重重

ㄨㄟ ㄐㄧ ㄔㄨㄥˊ ㄔㄨㄥˊ

ㄨㄟˊ ㄐㄧ ㄔㄨㄥˊ ㄔㄨㄥˊ

вэйцзи чунчун

/weɪ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵/

/weɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵/

/weɪ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵/

/weɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵/


tíminn flýgur

Literally meaning ‘(the) time flies’. A calque of the Latin phrase "tempus fugit".


but for the grace of God

An ellipsis for there but for the grace of God go I.

Were it not for God's help, someone could have suffered that outcome.


verdeel en heers

Probably a calque of Latin divide et impera.


愛理不理

ㄞˋ ㄌㄧˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄧˇ

ㄞˋ ㄌㄧˇㄦ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄧˇㄦ

/ˀaɪ̯⁵¹ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ˀaɪ̯⁵¹ liə̯ɻ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ liə̯ɻ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ɔːi̯³³ lei̯¹³ pɐt̚⁵ lei̯¹³/

/ˀaɪ̯⁵¹ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ɔːi̯³³ lei̯¹³ pɐt̚⁵ lei̯¹³/


如之奈何

ㄖㄨˊ ㄓ ㄋㄞˋ ㄏㄜˊ

жу чжи найхэ

/ʐu³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ naɪ̯⁵¹ xɤ³⁵/

/ʐu³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ naɪ̯⁵¹ xɤ³⁵/

(archaic) what can be done; there's no choice


koka soppa på en spik

Since 1807, based on a well-known fairy tale. Literally, "to cook a soup on a nail".

to accomplish or produce something through minimal means; to produce something with no or very little available material


掩目捕雀

to cover one's eyes while (trying to) catch abrambling

ㄧㄢˇ ㄇㄨˋ ㄅㄨˇ ㄑㄩㄝˋ

/jɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ mu⁵¹ pu²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛ⁵¹/

/jɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ mu⁵¹ pu²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛ⁵¹/


龍驤虎步

ㄌㄨㄥˊ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄏㄨˇ ㄅㄨˋ

/lʊŋ³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹/

/lʊŋ³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹/


掩目而捕燕雀

ㄧㄢˇ ㄇㄨˋ ㄦˊ ㄅㄨˇ ㄧㄢˋ ㄑㄩㄝˋ

янь му эр бу яньцюэ

/jɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ mu⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ pu²¹⁴⁻²¹ jɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛ⁵¹/


行權立斷

ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄑㄩㄢˊ ㄌㄧˋ ㄉㄨㄢˋ

синцюаньлидуань

/ɕiŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ tu̯än⁵¹/

/ɕiŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ tu̯än⁵¹/


高下在心

ㄍㄠ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄒㄧㄣ

гаося цзай синь

/kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵/

/kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵/

to wield a great amount of power, and to reward or punish subordinates at one's whim


倒持干戈

ㄉㄠˋ ㄔˊ ㄍㄢ ㄍㄜ

даочи ганьгэ

/tɑʊ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩³⁵ kän⁵⁵ kɤ⁵⁵/

/tɑʊ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩³⁵ kän⁵⁵ kɤ⁵⁵/

Literally: to hold one's weapon backwards (so that the handle is offered to the enemy)

to give up one's advantage or power to someone else


各懷一心

ㄍㄜˋ ㄏㄨㄞˊ ㄧ ㄒㄧㄣ

гэ хуай исинь

/kɤ⁵¹ xu̯aɪ̯³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵/

/kɤ⁵¹ xu̯aɪ̯³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵/

everyone is of their own mind; nobody can agree on how to proceed


授人以柄

ㄕㄡˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄧˇ ㄅㄧㄥˇ

shòu rén yǐ bǐng [Phonetic:shòurényíbǐng]

шоу жэнь и бин

/ʂoʊ̯⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻³⁵ piŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ʂoʊ̯⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻³⁵ piŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

to relinquish one's power or authority to someone else


HTF

HTF did you manage that?!

I can't even help myself HTF can I help him?

2019 December, Justin Blackburn, The Bisexual Christian Suburban Failure Enlightening Bipolar Blues, page 93:

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of how the fuck.


洪爐燎髮

(to light) a big oven so that one can burn (a person's) body and head hair

ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄌㄨˊ ㄌㄧㄠˊ ㄈㄚˋ

ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄌㄨˊ ㄌㄧㄠˊ ㄈㄚˇ

/xʊŋ³⁵ lu³⁵ li̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ fä⁵¹/

/xʊŋ³⁵ lu³⁵ li̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ fä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/hʊŋ²¹ lou̯²¹ liːu̯²¹ faːt̚³/

/xʊŋ³⁵ lu³⁵ li̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ fä⁵¹/

/xʊŋ³⁵ lu³⁵ li̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ fä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/hʊŋ²¹ lou̯²¹ liːu̯²¹ faːt̚³/

(archaic) overkill; to go way overboard; to use a sledge hammer to crack a nut


易如反掌

ㄧˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄈㄢˇ ㄓㄤˇ

/i⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ fän²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jiː²² jyː²¹ faːn³⁵ t͡sœːŋ³⁵/

/i⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ fän²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jiː²² jyː²¹ faːn³⁵ t͡sœːŋ³⁵/


reykingar bannaðar

Literally ‘smoking forbidden’, from reykingar ‘smoking’ + bannaður ‘forbidden’, past participle of banna ‘to forbid, to ban’.


鼓洪爐燎毛髮

to light a big oven so that one can burn (a person's) body and head hair

ㄍㄨˇ ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄌㄨˊ ㄌㄧㄠˊ ㄇㄠˊ ㄈㄚˋ

ㄍㄨˇ ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄌㄨˊ ㄌㄧㄠˊ ㄇㄠˊ ㄈㄚˇ

гу хунлу ляо маофа

/ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ xʊŋ³⁵ lu³⁵ li̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ mɑʊ̯³⁵ fä⁵¹/

/ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ xʊŋ³⁵ lu³⁵ li̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ mɑʊ̯³⁵ fä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/kuː³⁵ hʊŋ²¹ lou̯²¹ liːu̯²¹ mou̯²¹ faːt̚³/


殺雞給猴看

desc

เชือดไก่ให้ลิงดู

→ Thai: เชือดไก่ให้ลิงดู (chʉ̂ʉat-gài-hâi-ling-duu)

ㄕㄚ ㄐㄧ ㄍㄟˇ ㄏㄡˊ ㄎㄢˋ

ша цзи гэй хоу кань

/ʂä⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ keɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xoʊ̯³⁵ kʰän⁵¹/

/saːt̚³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ kʰɐp̚⁵ hɐu̯²¹ hɔːn³³/

/ʂä⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ keɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xoʊ̯³⁵ kʰän⁵¹/

/saːt̚³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ kʰɐp̚⁵ hɐu̯²¹ hɔːn³³/

To make an example of someone; to punish someone as an example to frighten others


HSE

Abbreviation of hic sepultus est (here is buried)


LMC

(Internet slang) Initialism of let me see.

(travel, dated) Initialism of let message (to) call (back).


get a room

Suggesting that the couple rent a hotel or motel room to continue amorous activities in private.

One night he kissed me on a park bench. I knew we shouldn’t but he would be gone so soon. The next night a homeless guy on a bench nearby hollered at us to get a room, but we couldn’t as we both had fierce landladies.

2021 December 26, Alys Fowler, “My winter of love: I was homesick in New York. The quiet Danish poet was just what I was longing for”, in The Guardian:

(idiomatic, informal, sometimes humorous) Used to instruct a couple to stop displaying romantic or physical affection in public.

menkää pussauskoppiin

used to instruct a couple to stop displaying physical affection in public

PDA

Initialism of public display of affection


名正言順

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (名正言順):
* → Vietnamese: danh chính ngôn thuận (名正言順)

ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄓㄥˋ ㄧㄢˊ ㄕㄨㄣˋ

минчжэнъяньшунь

/miŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹ jɛn³⁵ ʂu̯ən⁵¹/

/mɪŋ²¹ t͡sɪŋ³³ jiːn²¹ sɵn²²/

/biɪŋ²⁴⁻²² t͡siɪŋ²¹⁻⁵³ ɡiɛn²⁴⁻²² sun²²/

/biɪŋ²⁴⁻²² t͡siɪŋ⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ ɡiɛn²⁴⁻²² sun⁴¹/

/biɪŋ¹³⁻²² t͡siɪŋ²¹⁻⁵³ ɡiɛn¹³⁻²² sun²²/

/biɪŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡siɪŋ¹¹⁻⁵³ ɡiɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ sun³³/

/biɪŋ²³⁻³³ t͡siɪŋ²¹⁻⁴¹ ɡiɛn²³⁻³³ sun³³/

/miŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹ jɛn³⁵ ʂu̯ən⁵¹/

/mɪŋ²¹ t͡sɪŋ³³ jiːn²¹ sɵn²²/

/biɪŋ²⁴⁻²² t͡siɪŋ²¹⁻⁵³ ɡiɛn²⁴⁻²² sun²²/

/biɪŋ¹³⁻²² t͡siɪŋ²¹⁻⁵³ ɡiɛn¹³⁻²² sun²²/

/biɪŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡siɪŋ¹¹⁻⁵³ ɡiɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ sun³³/

/biɪŋ²³⁻³³ t͡siɪŋ²¹⁻⁴¹ ɡiɛn²³⁻³³ sun³³/

Appeared in the Analects in the negative as 名不正，則言不順／名不正，则言不顺 (míng bù zhèng, zé yán bù shùn).

zh-l

to be fitting and proper; to be perfectly justified or deserved


名正言順

danh chính ngôn thuận
danh chính ngôn thuận#Vietnamese

chữ Hán form of danh chính ngôn thuận (“to be fitting and proper; to be perfectly justified or deserved”).


揚湯止沸

try to stop water from boiling by scooping it up from the pot and pouring it back

ㄧㄤˊ ㄊㄤ ㄓˇ ㄈㄟˋ

/jɑŋ³⁵ tʰɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ feɪ̯⁵¹/

/jœːŋ²¹ tʰɔːŋ⁵⁵ t͡siː³⁵ fɐi̯³³/

/jɑŋ³⁵ tʰɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ feɪ̯⁵¹/

/jœːŋ²¹ tʰɔːŋ⁵⁵ t͡siː³⁵ fɐi̯³³/

Chen Shou, Records of the Three Kingdoms, circa 3ʳᵈ century CE

Chén zuì yìng qīng zōng, huò yìng fù zú. Zāo qiánkūn zhī líng, zhí shí lái zhī yùn, yángtāngzhǐfèi shǐ bù jiāo làn.

臣罪應傾宗，禍應覆族。遭乾坤之靈，值時來之運，揚湯止沸使不燋爛。

臣罪应倾宗，祸应覆族。遭干坤之灵，值时来之运，扬汤止沸使不燋烂。

(figuratively) to implement temporary solutions that do not address the root of the problem


is the Pope a Catholic

is the Pope Catholic
is the Pope Catholic#English

Alternative form of is the Pope Catholic?


面善心狠

ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄕㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄏㄣˇ

мяньшань синьхэнь

/mi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂän⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵ xən²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/mi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂän⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵ xən²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

wolf in sheep's clothing
wolf in sheep's clothing