按兵不動

ㄢˋ ㄅㄧㄥ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄨㄥˋ

/ˀän⁵¹ piŋ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ tʊŋ⁵¹/

/ɔːn³³ pɪŋ⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ tʊŋ²²/

/an²¹⁻⁵³ piɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² put̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ²²/

/an⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ piɪŋ³³ put̚⁵⁻²⁴ tɔŋ⁴¹/

/an²¹⁻⁵³ piɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² put̚³²⁻⁵ tɔŋ²²/

/an¹¹⁻⁵³ piɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ put̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ³³/

/an²¹⁻⁴¹ piɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ put̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ³³/

/ˀän⁵¹ piŋ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ tʊŋ⁵¹/

/ɔːn³³ pɪŋ⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ tʊŋ²²/

/an²¹⁻⁵³ piɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² put̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ²²/

/an⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ piɪŋ³³ put̚⁵⁻²⁴ tɔŋ⁴¹/

/an²¹⁻⁵³ piɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² put̚³²⁻⁵ tɔŋ²²/

/an¹¹⁻⁵³ piɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ put̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ³³/

/an²¹⁻⁴¹ piɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ put̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ³³/

to temporarily stand down one's army in order to wait and see how things develop


IFYPFY

(Internet slang) Initialism of I fixed your post for you.


who cares

(colloquial, rhetorical question) A reply to an unimportant or irrelevant statement, indicating indifference on the part of the speaker.

"I'll never speak to you again as long as I live," said Joe, rising. "There now!" And he moved moodily away and began to dress himself.
"Who cares!" said Tom. "Nobody wants you to. Go 'long home and get laughed at. Oh, you're a nice pirate. Huck and me ain't crybabies. We'll stay, won't we, Huck? Let him go if he wants to. I reckon we can get along without him, per'aps."

1876, Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Part 4:

"But it's ever so much longer, and we're so late," grumbled Duncan.
"Who cares?" cried Elsie, stolidly. "I'm a girl and I'm not going to climb up the hill in this heat."
Duncan stared again. He had never heard Elsie complain of the hill before. Usually they scampered up it, and rolled down the steepest side—not, truly, when there was milk to carry, but at other times. And now Elsie was walking along in a languid, mincing fashion, as if she had no more fun in her than Robbie himself, and had never scampered bare-foot over the moor six days out of every week, no matter what the weather might be.
"There's Robbie at the garden gate beckoning us. I expect mother's very angry," cried Duncan, despairingly.
"Who cares? let him beckon," Elsie replied, with the most provoking indifference. "Run on by yourself if you're afraid."

1884 July, author not named, “A Little Too Clever”, in Little Folks: A Magazine for the Young:

c.1888, George Manville Fenn, Dick o' the Fens: A Tale of the Great Eastern Swamp,
"No, but it's not nice all the same to live in a place where lots of people were murdered."
"Tchah! who cares! I don't. It's a capital old place, and you never dig anywhere without finding something."
"Yes," said Tom solemnly, "something that isn't always nice."

"Well," said Peter Piper, "we have been called Meg and Peg and Kilmanskeg and Gustibus and Peter Piper instead of our grand names, and now we live in a place called Racketty-Packetty House. Who cares! Let's join hands and have a dance."

1906, Frances H. Burnett, Racketty-Packetty House:

It makes no difference if you fall on the whirl. Who cares? And when you are through dancing you can go out to the faucet and get yourself a drink—provided the water hasn't been turned off.

1922, Robert Benchley, Love Conquers All:

Freddy Farmer added two one-dollar bills to the hockey tickets and walked away. The two soldiers gaped down at the two tickets and the two dollars.
"What's the matter with that guy; is he touched?" one of them mumbled. "And did you hear him, Fuzzy? He didn't even speak English!"
"Who cares?" Fuzzy asked as he came out of his trance. "Two four-buck-forty hockey tickets, and two bucks in cash! Who cares if the guy is touched? He's okay by me!"

1944, Robert Sydney Bowen, Dave Dawson at Casablanca:

(colloquial, rhetorical question) A reply that dismisses the importance of another speaker's immediately preceding statement.


愚公移山

ja-r

ぐ%こう %やま を うつす

→ Japanese: 愚(ぐ)公(こう)山(やま)を移(うつ)す (gukō yama o utsusu) (calque)

ㄩˊ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄧˊ ㄕㄢ

/y³⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ i³⁵ ʂän⁵⁵/

/jyː²¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ jiː²¹ saːn⁵⁵/

/ŋy³³ kɔŋ⁵⁴ i³³ suiŋ⁵⁴/

/y³⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ i³⁵ ʂän⁵⁵/

/jyː²¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ jiː²¹ saːn⁵⁵/

/ŋy³³ kɔŋ⁵⁴ i³³ suiŋ⁵⁴/

For more information, see the citations page.

to be resolute in one's endeavor, no matter what hardships one encounters


TRAF

Acronym of toss, refer, act, file: a principle of organization describing the possible responses to an incoming message or work item.


عيدكم مبارك

head

عِيدُكُمْ مُبَارَك

عِيدُكُمْ مُبَارَك • (ʕīdukum mubārak)

عِيدُكُمْ مُبَارَك (canonical)
ʕīdukum mubārak (romanization)

Eid Mubarak; happy Eid (literally, "your Eid is blessed" or "may your Eid be blessed")


gern geschehen

/ɡɛrn ɡəˈʃeːən/

[ɡɛɐ̯n ɡəˈʃeːn]

[ɡɛʁn ɡəˈʃeːn]

From gern (“gladly”) + geschehen (“occurred”).

You're welcome: a response to an expression of thanks.


a number of

A number of people have commented on it.

There are a number of problems with the log-in system.

I spoke with a number of them about it.


cur non

Cūr ego tēcum nōn sum?

Cūr nōn illam hūc transferrī iubēs?

Why don't you command her to be brought over hither?

Cūr nōn ēmistī restem suspendiō?

Why do you not buy a halter, and hang yourself?


quid est

[kʷɪd̪ ɛs̠t̪]

From quid the neuter of quis (“what”) + est (“it is”), form of esse (“to be”). Literally meaning "what is it?".


擐甲持戈

ㄏㄨㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄚˇ ㄔˊ ㄍㄜ

хуаньцзя чи гэ

/xu̯än⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩³⁵ kɤ⁵⁵/

/xu̯än⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩³⁵ kɤ⁵⁵/

Literally: to don armor and pick up a weapon

(archaic) describes someone who is armed and ready for battle


what do you want, a cookie

"I was straight to the point - "Laurie, I'm gay." "Bernard, I've known that for a long time. So, what do you want, a cookie? Now deal the cards!"

1994, R. Jeffrey Ringer, Queer Words, Queer Images: Communication and Construction of Homosexuality, →ISBN, page 230:

DOLL. Buzzet attacked me last night. I have scars! Look at my arm! And my hair is flat too!
SPIDER. What do you want a cookie?

2001, Mary Rogers, Drop Your Webbings! (from Class Acts: High School Plays by High School Writers →ISBN by Randy Lee Hartwig), p.30

"I wait for ju, five minute," He says. "Well what do you want, a cookie" I tell him and he looks at me like he does not understand."

2004, James H. Taylor, Curiosity Killed the Chelsea Boy, →ISBN, page 153:

"The way I see it, I'm already doing all the work, and I'm doing the spells and incantations," stated Bowolf. "So what do you want, a cookie?" laughed Prolok.

2006, Antonio Garza, The House with the Magic Cellar: Realm: I, →ISBN, page 103:

(rhetorical question, sarcastic) A retort to someone who has done something unsurprising or unimpressive and has deemed it necessary to mention it.


e medio abeo

[ɛː ˈmɛːd̪io ˈäːbeo]

From e (“out of, from”) + medio, the ablative of medium (“middle, public”) + abeo (“I depart”). Hence literally “out of the public I depart” or “I pass away from the public”.


זה סינית בשבילי

זֶה סִינִית בִּשְׁבִילִי

זֶה סִינִית בִּשְׁבִילִי • (ze sínit bishvilí)

זֶה סִינִית בִּשְׁבִילִי (canonical)
ze sínit bishvilí (romanization)

It’s all Greek to me
it's all Greek to me


sanasta sanaan

sanasta (“from word”) sanaan (“to word”)

Hän toisti tekstin sanasta sanaan.

Hänen tekstinsä oli sanasta sanaan kopio toisesta artikkelista.

His text was a word-for-word copy of another article.

word for word (adverbial usage), word-for-word (adjectival usage)


冒煙突火

ㄇㄠˋ ㄧㄢ ㄊㄨ ㄏㄨㄛˇ

ㄇㄠˋ ㄧㄢ ㄊㄨˊ ㄏㄨㄛˇ

мао янь тухо

/mɑʊ̯⁵¹ jɛn⁵⁵ tʰu⁵⁵ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/mɑʊ̯⁵¹ jɛn⁵⁵ tʰu³⁵ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/mɑʊ̯⁵¹ jɛn⁵⁵ tʰu⁵⁵ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/mɑʊ̯⁵¹ jɛn⁵⁵ tʰu³⁵ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

battle one's way through smoke and flames


det er lett å være etterpåklok

wise after the event
wise after the event

hindsight is 20/20; it's easy to be wise after the event


nær dauða en lífi

From nær (meaning "closer") + dauða (meaning "[to] death"), the dative singular of dauði (meaning "death") + en (meaning "than") + lífi (meaning "[to] life"), the dative singular of líf. Meaning "closer [to] death than [to] life".

Eftir hlaupið var ég nær dauða en lífi.

I was closer to death than life after that run.

(idiomatic) meaning that one is closer to death than life


bont en blauw

black and blue (so badly bruised that the skin is discolored)


primum non nocere

First, do no harm (an adage taught to medical students reminding them to consider the possible harm of any intervention).


what do I know

Maybe girl grasshoppers find long legs attractive in boy grasshoppers, but what do I know?

(rhetorical question) Implies that a statement is based on a guess or assumption rather than on knowledge or evidence.


huckleberry above a persimmon

"He's a huckleberry above a persimmon, for sure," Katherine said, following her gaze. "I hear tell he broke a lot of hearts in San Antone when he married you."

2001, Cynthia Sterling, A Husband by Law, page 48:

(US, idiomatic) Someone or something that is better than others.


you are welcome

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-you are welcome.wav

She reached out and handed me a steaming bowl of porridge. / “Thank you!” / Her eyes smiled back at me. “You are welcome.”

2000, Eric Walters, Caged Eagles, Orca Book Publishers, →ISBN, page 50:

(formal) Alternative form of you're welcome.

You are welcome, most noble Sorceress, to the land of the Munchkins.

1900 May 17, L[yman] Frank Baum, “The Council with The Munchkins”, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] M[elvin] Hill Co., →OCLC, page 21:

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see you, are, welcome.


以儆效尤

ㄧˇ ㄐㄧㄥˇ ㄒㄧㄠˋ ㄧㄡˊ

/i²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡ɕiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ joʊ̯³⁵/

/jiː¹³ kɪŋ³⁵ haːu̯²² jɐu̯²¹/

/i²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡ɕiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ joʊ̯³⁵/

/jiː¹³ kɪŋ³⁵ haːu̯²² jɐu̯²¹/

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


千乘萬騎

ㄑㄧㄢ ㄕㄥˋ ㄨㄢˋ ㄑㄧˊ

ㄑㄧㄢ ㄕㄥˋ ㄨㄢˋ ㄐㄧˋ

цяньшэнваньци

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ wän⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵/

цяньшэнваньцзи

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ wän⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi⁵¹/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ wän⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ wän⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi⁵¹/


all wool and a yard wide

about 1900, O. Henry, The Missing Chord
And that was the piano that Uncle Cal had selected; and standing by it was the good, fine, all-wool girl that never let him know it.


all over oneself

Then the Frogs surrounded this Rabbit, an' they re-captured the skull, an' the Rabbits charged with ambition, an' the Frogs passed to the left, an' there was old Leapin' Frog himself, grinnin' all over himself with his club reached out a-puntin' the skull along like sixty-seven.

Anyway, the network tells me Ishaka is all over himself over his new baby, kissing and cuddling her and calling her every endearing name I didn't even know existed.

2003, Mary Karooro Okurut, The Official Wife, →ISBN, page 81:

Nowadays, UGA recruiters would be all over themselves to enroll three high-achieving African American students like Kerry Rushin Miller, Harold A. Black and Mary Blackwell Diallo.

2017 January 13, Lee Shearer, “UGA's first black freshmen — all three — recall what it was like”, in Athens Banner-Herald:

Those women lite up they were so excited they were all over themselves we did it girls we made the King happy and Diane to.

2013, Jesse S. Ward, My Lady and the Rogue, →ISBN:


旌旗蔽日

ㄐㄧㄥ ㄑㄧˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄖˋ

/t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ pi⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʐ̩⁵¹/

/t͡sɪŋ⁵⁵ kʰei̯²¹ pɐi̯³³ jɐt̚²/

/sɪŋ⁵⁵ kʰei̯²¹ pɐi̯³³ jɐt̚²/

/t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ pi⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʐ̩⁵¹/

/t͡sɪŋ⁵⁵ kʰei̯²¹ pɐi̯³³ jɐt̚²/

/sɪŋ⁵⁵ kʰei̯²¹ pɐi̯³³ jɐt̚²/


sweet Mary

(idiomatic) Used to add emphasis, particularly by Catholics.


兩害相權取其輕

ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄏㄞˋ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄑㄩㄢˊ ㄑㄩˇ ㄑㄧˊ ㄑㄧㄥ

loeng⁵ hoi⁶ soeng¹ kyun⁴ ceoi² kei⁴ hing¹

liang³ hai⁴ hsiang¹ chʻüan² chʻü³ chʻi² chʻing¹

лян хай сян цюань цюй ци цин

/li̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ xaɪ̯⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵/

loeng⁵ hoi⁶ soeng¹ kyn⁴ tsoey² kei⁴ hing¹

/lœːŋ¹³ hɔːi̯²² sœːŋ⁵⁵ kʰyːn²¹ t͡sʰɵy̯³⁵ kʰei̯²¹ hɪŋ⁵⁵/


壓倒駱駝的最後一根草

ㄧㄚ ㄉㄠˇ ㄌㄨㄛˋ ˙ㄊㄨㄛ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄗㄨㄟˋ ㄏㄡˋ ㄧ ㄍㄣ ㄘㄠˇ

yādǎo luòtuo de zuìhòu yī gēn cǎo [Phonetic:yādǎo luòtuo de zuìhòu yì gēn cǎo]

ya¹-tao³ lo⁴-tʻo⁵ tê⁵ tsui⁴-hou⁴ i¹ kên¹ tsʻao³

ядао лото дэ цзуйхоу и гэнь цао

/jä⁵⁵ tɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ lu̯ɔ⁵¹ tʰu̯ɔ¹ d̥ə¹ t͡su̯eɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ xoʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ kən⁵⁵ t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

[Phonetic: yādǎo luòtuo de zuìhòu yì gēn cǎo]

Calque of English the straw that broke the camel's back.

calque

the straw that broke the camel's back
the straw that broke the camel's back


一了百了

ㄧ ㄌㄧㄠˇ ㄅㄞˇ ㄌㄧㄠˇ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ li̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ li̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ liːu̯¹³ paːk̚³ liːu̯¹³/

/jɐt̚⁵ liːu̯¹³ paːk̚³ liːu̯¹³/

all troubles end when the main trouble ends


WIBNI

(Internet slang, text messaging) Abbreviation of wouldn't it be nice if.


a lacte cunisque

[äː ˈɫ̪äkt̪ɛ kuːˈniːs̠kʷɛ]

From ā (“from”) lacte (“milk”) cūnīs (“cradle”) + -que (“and”). Hence literally “from milk and cradle”.

(idiomatic) From the cradle, from infancy.


what's good

What's good here? I'm way too indecisive to choose from a menu.

(colloquial) What is good, especially in reference to food.

這裡有什麼好吃的？

(colloquial) what is good, especially in reference to food

what's good for the goose is good for the gander


惶惶不安

ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄢ

хуанхуанбу’ань

/xu̯ɑŋ³⁵ xu̯ɑŋ³⁵ pu⁵¹ ˀän⁵⁵/

/xu̯ɑŋ³⁵ xu̯ɑŋ³⁵ pu⁵¹ ˀän⁵⁵/

to be very anxious; to be very uneasy; to be terrified


略無忌憚

lüè wú jìdàn

ㄌㄩㄝˋ ㄨˊ ㄐㄧˋ ㄉㄢˋ

lüè wú jìdàn

люэ у цзидань

/ly̯ɛ⁵¹ u³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹⁻⁵³ tän⁵¹/

/ly̯ɛ⁵¹ u³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹⁻⁵³ tän⁵¹/

略 (to ignore; to disregard) + 無 (without) + 忌憚 (fear; anxiety)


NHNF

no harm, no foul
no harm, no foul#English

(Internet slang) Initialism of no harm, no foul.


carpe noctem

[ˈkärpɛ ˈnɔkt̪ɛ̃ˑ]

seize the night (make the most of the night)


fr-phrase

prolétaires de tous les pays, unissez-vous

Calque of German Proletarier aller Länder, vereinigt euch.

clq

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


art imitates life

The observation that a creative work was inspired by true events; based on a true story.


life imitates art

Expresses the notion that an event in the real world was inspired by a creative work.


濟囝餓死爸

济囝饿死爸
濟囝餓死父
儕囝餓死父
儕囝餓死爸
多子餓死父
多囝餓死父
多囝餓死爸

many children will make a father starve to death

/t͡sue³³⁻¹¹ kiã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ɡo³³⁻¹¹ si⁵³⁻⁴⁴ pe³³/

/t͡sue²²⁻²¹ kiã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ɡo²²⁻²¹ si⁵³⁻⁴⁴ pe²²/

/t͡sue⁴¹⁻²² kã⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ ɡo⁴¹⁻²² si⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ pe²²/

/t͡se³³⁻²¹ kiã⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ ɡɤ³³⁻²¹ si⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ pe³³/

/t͡se²²⁻²¹ kiã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ɡo²²⁻²¹ si⁵³⁻⁴⁴ pɛ²²/

/t͡soi¹¹ kĩã⁵²⁻³⁵ ɡo¹¹ si⁵²⁻³⁵ pe³⁵/

/t͡soi¹¹ kĩã⁵²⁻³⁵ ɡo¹¹ si⁵²⁻³⁵ pe³⁵/

(Hokkien, Teochew) unable to make ends meet; in dire financial circumstances


or what

How should he know or guess or what?

1926, Theodore Dreiser, An American Tragedy, page 68:

Do they check you at the door or what?" Michael laughed.

1982, Armistead Maupin, Further Tales of the City, page 146:

[S]he asked me, and like you, I didn't know if that was like having heart failure or what.

2006, V.C. Andrews, Broken Flower, page 141:

I don't know if she was joking or what, but I joked back with her anyway. […]. Did I take her back to her hotel room and drop her off or what?

2007, Omar Tyree, What They Want: A Novel, page 95:

(idiomatic) Or something else; allows for the existence of an unexpressed alternative to what was said.


順我者生，逆我者死

Those who obey me shall live, and those who oppose me shall die.

ㄕㄨㄣˋ ㄨㄛˇ ㄓㄜˇ ㄕㄥ

ㄋㄧˋ ㄨㄛˇ ㄓㄜˇ ㄙˇ

seon⁶ ngo⁵ ze² sang¹, jik⁶ ngo⁵ ze² sei²

shun⁴ wo³ chê³ shêng¹, ni⁴ wo³ chê³ ssŭ³

шунь во чжэ шэн

ни во чжэ сы

šunʹ vo čžɛ šɛn

/ʂu̯ən⁵¹ wɔ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ ni⁵¹ wɔ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

soen⁶ ngo⁵ dze² sang¹, jik⁹ ngo⁵ dze² sei²

/sɵn²² ŋɔː¹³ t͡sɛː³⁵ sɐŋ⁵⁵ jɪk̚² ŋɔː¹³ t͡sɛː³⁵ sei̯³⁵/

you're either with me or you're against me; it's my way or the highway


草菅人命

ㄘㄠˇ ㄐㄧㄢ ㄖㄣˊ ㄇㄧㄥˋ

цаоцзяньжэньмин

/t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵ miŋ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰou̯³⁵ kaːn⁵⁵ jɐn²¹ mɪŋ²²/

/t͡sʰou̯³⁵ kaːn⁵⁵ jɐn²¹ mɛːŋ²²/

/t͡sʰo⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kan⁴⁴⁻²² lin²⁴⁻²² biɪŋ²²/

/t͡sʰɤ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ kuan⁴⁴⁻³³ zin²³⁻³³ biɪŋ³³/

/t͡sʰau⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ kan⁴⁴⁻³³ zin²³⁻³³ biɪŋ³³/

/t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵ miŋ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰou̯³⁵ kaːn⁵⁵ jɐn²¹ mɪŋ²²/

/t͡sʰou̯³⁵ kaːn⁵⁵ jɐn²¹ mɛːŋ²²/

/t͡sʰo⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kan⁴⁴⁻²² lin²⁴⁻²² biɪŋ²²/

/t͡sʰɤ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ kuan⁴⁴⁻³³ zin²³⁻³³ biɪŋ³³/

/t͡sʰau⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ kan⁴⁴⁻³³ zin²³⁻³³ biɪŋ³³/

to regard human life as if it were as worthless as straw


vete a la mierda

Ojalá te fueses a la mierda

(idiomatic, vulgar, offensive) fuck you, fuck off, get fucked, go fuck yourself, go to hell


共襄盛舉

ㄍㄨㄥˋ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄕㄥˋ ㄐㄩˇ

гунсяншэнцзюй

/kʊŋ⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕy²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/kʊŋ²² sœːŋ⁵⁵ sɪŋ²² kɵy̯³⁵/

/kʊŋ⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕy²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/kʊŋ²² sœːŋ⁵⁵ sɪŋ²² kɵy̯³⁵/

After the major earthquake, artists from the Mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan all worked together to perform several concerts to collect funds for disaster relief.

Fāshēng le dà dìzhèn, dàlù jí gǎng, ào, tái sān dì yìrén wèile jiùzāi gòngxiāngshèngjǔ, jǔbàn le duō chǎng yǎnchànghuì.

發生了大地震，大陸及港、澳、台三地藝人為了救災共襄盛舉，舉辦了多場演唱會。

发生了大地震，大陆及港、澳、台三地艺人为了救灾共襄盛举，举办了多场演唱会。

to assist one another in preparation for a grand occasion; to work together to complete a project


ITT

(Internet slang) Initialism of in this thread (the topic of this thread is).

(Internet slang) Initialism of in this topic.


mele Kalikimaka

Borrowed from English merry Christmas. The pronunciation has deviated from the original English pronunciation due to the phonotactics of Hawaiian.


ubi maior minor cessat

(literally) "Where the greater is there, the lesser ceases (or becomes negligible)"; in the presence of a more important person, the less important one loses relevance.


四海一家

ㄙˋ ㄏㄞˇ ㄧ ㄐㄧㄚ

/sz̩⁵¹ xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵/

/sei̯³³ hɔːi̯³⁵ jɐt̚⁵ kaː⁵⁵/

/sz̩⁵¹ xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵/

/sei̯³³ hɔːi̯³⁵ jɐt̚⁵ kaː⁵⁵/


支離破碎

ㄓ ㄌㄧˊ ㄆㄛˋ ㄙㄨㄟˋ

/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ li³⁵ pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ su̯eɪ̯⁵¹/

/t͡siː⁵⁵ lei̯²¹ pʰɔː³³ sɵy̯³³/

/t͡si⁴⁴⁻²² li²⁴⁻²² pʰo²¹⁻⁵³ t͡sʰui²¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ li³⁵ pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ su̯eɪ̯⁵¹/

/t͡siː⁵⁵ lei̯²¹ pʰɔː³³ sɵy̯³³/

/t͡si⁴⁴⁻²² li²⁴⁻²² pʰo²¹⁻⁵³ t͡sʰui²¹/


selamat siang

selamat siang pemirsa

(formal) A somewhat formal greeting generally used when daytime, near midday. When weather feel hotter than "pagi"; good day; good afternoon.


maaf

Borrowed from Classical Persian مُعَاف (mu'āf), from Arabic مُعَافًى (muʕāfan).

bor+

maaf zahir dan batin
maaf zahir dan batin#Malay


sama-sama

you're welcome, has a connotation of same to you


sama-sama

you're welcome, used in reply to terima kasih ("thank you"), has a connotation of same to you ("sama" means same)


top of the morning

A working-class phrase once popular throughout the British Isles, possibly in reference to cream rising in milk. Revived into popular consciousness, and associated with Irishmen, by the 1959 film Darby O'Gill and the Little People.

(Ireland, New England, idiomatic, archaic, sometimes humorous) A generic, cheerful greeting said to someone in the morning.

British Isles
Darby O'Gill and the Little People


nhập gia tuỳ tục

[ɲəp̚˧˨ʔ zaː˧˧ twi˨˩ tʊwk͡p̚˧˨ʔ]

[ɲəp̚˨˩ʔ jaː˧˧ twɪj˦˩ tʊwk͡p̚˨˩ʔ]

[ɲəp̚˨˩˨ jaː˧˧ t⁽ʷ⁾ɪj˨˩ tʊwk͡p̚˨˩˨]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 入家隨俗 (literally "enter house, follow customs").

when in Rome, do as the Romans do
when in Rome, do as the Romans do


截然不同

ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄖㄢˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄊㄨㄥˊ

цзежаньбутун

/t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ ʐän³⁵ pu⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵/

/t͡siːt̚² jiːn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹/

/t͡siɛt̚⁴⁻³² liɛn²⁴⁻²² put̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ²⁴/

/t͡siɛt̚⁴⁻³² ziɛn²³⁻³³ put̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ²³/

/t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ ʐän³⁵ pu⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵/

/t͡siːt̚² jiːn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹/

/t͡siɛt̚⁴⁻³² liɛn²⁴⁻²² put̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ²⁴/

/t͡siɛt̚⁴⁻³² ziɛn²³⁻³³ put̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ²³/

to be completely different; to be poles apart


愛面子

/ˀaɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ mi̯ɛn⁵¹ d͡z̥z̩¹/

/ɔːi̯³³ miːn²² t͡siː³⁵/

/ai⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ bin⁴¹⁻²² t͡sɯ⁵⁵⁴/

/ai²¹⁻⁴¹ bin³³⁻²¹ t͡su⁴¹/

/ai¹¹⁻⁵³ bin³³⁻¹¹ t͡su⁵³/

/ai²¹⁻⁵³ bin²²⁻²¹ t͡su⁵³/

/ˀaɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ mi̯ɛn⁵¹ d͡z̥z̩¹/

/ɔːi̯³³ miːn²² t͡siː³⁵/

/ai⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ bin⁴¹⁻²² t͡sɯ⁵⁵⁴/

/ai²¹⁻⁴¹ bin³³⁻²¹ t͡su⁴¹/

/ai¹¹⁻⁵³ bin³³⁻¹¹ t͡su⁵³/

/ai²¹⁻⁵³ bin²²⁻²¹ t͡su⁵³/

sensitive about one's reputation; afraid of losing face and being looked down upon


như nước đổ đầu vịt

head

như nước đổ đầu vịt

vi-phrase

như nước đổ đầu vịt

[ɲɨ˧˧ nɨək̚˧˦ ʔɗo˧˩ ʔɗəw˨˩ vit̚˧˨ʔ]

[ɲɨ˧˧ nɨək̚˦˧˥ ʔɗow˧˨ ʔɗəw˦˩ vit̚˨˩ʔ]

[ɲɨ˧˧ nɨək̚˦˥ ʔɗow˨˩˦ ʔɗəw˨˩ vɨt̚˨˩˨]

[ɲɨ˧˧ nɨək̚˦˥ ʔɗow˨˩˦ ʔɗəw˨˩ jɨt̚˨˩˨]

like water off a duck's back
like water off a duck's back

(figurative) like water off a duck's back.


vắng chủ nhà, gà vọc niêu tôm

[vaŋ˧˦ t͡ɕu˧˩ ɲaː˨˩ ɣaː˨˩ vawk͡p̚˧˨ʔ niəw˧˧ tom˧˧]

[vaŋ˦˧˥ t͡ɕʊw˧˨ ɲaː˦˩ ɣaː˦˩ vawk͡p̚˨˩ʔ niw˧˧ tom˧˧]

[vaŋ˦˥ cʊw˨˩˦ ɲaː˨˩ ɣaː˨˩ vawk͡p̚˨˩˨ niw˧˧ tom˧˧]

[jaŋ˦˥ cʊw˨˩˦ ɲaː˨˩ ɣaː˨˩ jawk͡p̚˨˩˨ niw˧˧ tom˧˧]

Literally "when the owner is away from home, the chicken will peck the earthenware pot of shrimp" (in Vietnam, chickens are known for their love of shrimp)

when the cat's away the mice will play
when the cat's away the mice will play


海內人望

ㄏㄞˇ ㄋㄟˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄨㄤˋ

хайнэй жэньван

/xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ neɪ̯⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ wɑŋ⁵¹/

/xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ neɪ̯⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ wɑŋ⁵¹/

(archaic) a person that all the people put their hopes in


a fost odată

(used at the beginnings of fairytales) once upon a time


chủ vắng nhà, gà vọc niêu tôm

[t͡ɕu˧˩ vaŋ˧˦ ɲaː˨˩ ɣaː˨˩ vawk͡p̚˧˨ʔ niəw˧˧ tom˧˧]

[t͡ɕʊw˧˨ vaŋ˦˧˥ ɲaː˦˩ ɣaː˦˩ vawk͡p̚˨˩ʔ niw˧˧ tom˧˧]

[cʊw˨˩˦ vaŋ˦˥ ɲaː˨˩ ɣaː˨˩ vawk͡p̚˨˩˨ niw˧˧ tom˧˧]

[cʊw˨˩˦ jaŋ˦˥ ɲaː˨˩ ɣaː˨˩ jawk͡p̚˨˩˨ niw˧˧ tom˧˧]


あります

arimasu (romanization)
有りませ (imperfective stem)
有りましょ (imperfective stem)
ありませ (imperfective stem)
ありましょ (imperfective stem)
arimase (imperfective)
arimasho (imperfective)
有りまし (continuative stem)
ありまし (continuative stem)
arimashi (continuative)
有ります (stem terminative)
あります (stem terminative)
arimasu (terminative)
有ります (attributive stem)
あります (attributive stem)
arimasu (attributive)
有りますれ (hypothetical stem)
ありますれ (hypothetical stem)
arimasure (hypothetical)
有りましょう (volitional)
ありましょう (volitional)
arimashō (volitional)
有りません (negative)
ありません (negative)
arimasen (negative)
有りませず (continuative negative)
ありませず (continuative negative)
arimasezu (continuative negative)
有りました (perfective)
ありました (perfective)
arimashita (perfective)
有りまして (conjunctive)
ありまして (conjunctive)
arimashite (conjunctive)
有りますれば (conditional hypothetical)
ありますれば (conditional hypothetical)
arimasureba (conditional hypothetical)

From あり (ari, 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb ある (“to exist”)) + ます (masu, polite auxiliary).

ja-com

本日は当社の創立記念日であります。

Honjitsu wa tōsha no sōritsu kinenbi de arimasu.

Today is the anniversary of the founding of our company.

Today, there exists the anniversary of the founding of our company.

(auxiliary, formal) Polite form of ある (aru)


bon ghiurnu

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


bonu ghiurnu

Composed of Sicilian bonu (“good”) and ghiurnu (“day”).


head

Proletarier aller Länder, vereinigt euch

desc

→ French: prolétaires de tous les pays, unissez-vous (calque)

пролета́рии всех стран, соединя́йтесь

→ Russian: пролета́рии всех стран, соединя́йтесь (proletárii vsex stran, sojedinjájtesʹ) (calque)

/pʁoleˈtaːʁiɐ ˈʔalɐ ˈlɛndɐ fɛrˈʔaɪnɪçt ɔʏç/

This phrase, which comes from Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels' The Communist Manifesto, became one of the most famous rallying cries of communism.

Friedrich Engels
Karl Marx
The Communist Manifesto


إلخ

head

إِلَخ • (ʔilaḵ)

desctree

→ Ottoman Turkish: الخ (ilah), الاخ
Turkish: ilah.
Turkish: ilh.

→ Persian: الخ (elax)

Abbreviation of إِلَى آخِرِهِ (ʔilā ʔāḵirihi, “to its end”).


按勞分配

ㄢˋ ㄌㄠˊ ㄈㄣ ㄆㄟˋ

аньлаофэньпэй

/ˀän⁵¹ lɑʊ̯³⁵ fən⁵⁵ pʰeɪ̯⁵¹/

/ɔːn³³ lou̯²¹ fɐn⁵⁵ pʰuːi̯³³/

/ˀän⁵¹ lɑʊ̯³⁵ fən⁵⁵ pʰeɪ̯⁵¹/

/ɔːn³³ lou̯²¹ fɐn⁵⁵ pʰuːi̯³³/

distribution (of benefits, pay etc.) according to one's job performance


勇而無謀

ㄩㄥˇ ㄦˊ ㄨˊ ㄇㄡˊ

/jʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ u³⁵ moʊ̯³⁵/

/jʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ u³⁵ moʊ̯³⁵/

Lü Bu is all brawn and no brains, now he has fought thrice yet been beaten all three times; his morale has dwindled. The three armies look towards their general for leadership; when the leader dwindles, the armies surely shall not have the will to fight.

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

Lǚ Bù yǒng'érwúmóu, jīn sānzhàn jiē běi, qí ruìqì shuāi yǐ. Sānjūn yǐ jiāng wèi zhǔ, zhǔ shuāi zé jūn wú fènyì.

呂布勇而無謀，今三戰皆北，其銳氣衰矣。三軍以將為主，主衰則軍無奮意。

吕布勇而无谋，今三战皆北，其锐气衰矣。三军以将为主，主衰则军无奋意。

brave but lacking an ability to think strategically; all brawn and no brains


見利忘義

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (見利忘義):
* → Japanese: 見利忘義(けんりぼうぎ) (kenribōgi)
* → Korean: 견리망의(見利忘義) (gyeollimang'ui)

ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄌㄧˋ ㄨㄤˋ ㄧˋ

цзяньливанъи

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ wɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵¹/

/kiːn³³ lei̯²² mɔːŋ²¹ jiː²²/

/kiaŋ²¹³⁻⁵⁵ li³⁵⁻¹¹ buaŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ ŋi³⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ wɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵¹/

/kiːn³³ lei̯²² mɔːŋ²¹ jiː²²/

/kiaŋ²¹³⁻⁵⁵ li³⁵⁻¹¹ buaŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ ŋi³⁵/

At the prospect of profits, some conscienceless capitalists forget all moral principles and itch to have a go.

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

Zhèyàngyīlái, yīxiē sàngjìntiānliáng de zīběnjiā, jiù jiànlìwàngyì, yuèyuèyùshì.

這樣一來，一些喪盡天良的資本家，就見利忘義，躍躍欲試。

这样一来，一些丧尽天良的资本家，就见利忘义，跃跃欲试。

to forget one's principles whenever tempted by the prospect of personal gain


三寸不爛之舌

ㄙㄢ ㄘㄨㄣˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄢˋ ㄓ ㄕㄜˊ

sān cùn bù làn zhī shé [Phonetic:sān cùn bú làn zhī shé]

сань цунь бу лань чжи шэ

/sän⁵⁵ t͡sʰu̯ən⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ län⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʂɤ³⁵/

/saːm⁵⁵ t͡sʰyːn³³ pɐt̚⁵ laːn²² t͡siː⁵⁵ siːt̚²/

to have a silver tongue; to have a way with words; to have an ability to schmooze


don't pass go

From the board game Monopoly, in which a certain card ("Go directly to jail; do not pass go, do not collect $200") sends the player to the jail square without the usual traversal of the board.

Don't come back, don't see Taylor, don't pass Go. Don't do anything in this town again, Miss Grey, ever.

1994, Linda Shaw, One Pale, Fawn Glove., page 195:

To say that somebody is not to do anything without receiving further instructions.

As usual, this information was imparted to me with a blank stare, and dumped in my lap with an expression that said, "Don't pass Go, don't collect 200 dollars, go straight to jail!"

2001, Janice E. Hale, Learning While Black, page 126:

To say that somebody is obliged to do something without question.


tanj

Alternative spelling of TANJ (There ain't no justice.)


鐵證如山

ㄊㄧㄝˇ ㄓㄥˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄕㄢ

течжэнжушань

tečžɛnžušanʹ

/tʰi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ ʂän⁵⁵/

/tʰiːt̚³ t͡sɪŋ³³ jyː²¹ saːn⁵⁵/

/tʰi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ ʂän⁵⁵/

/tʰiːt̚³ t͡sɪŋ³³ jyː²¹ saːn⁵⁵/

a mountain of solid evidence; irrefutable


no hay de qué

don't mention it (used as you're welcome in the sense of no problem)


if you please

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-if you please.wav

The construction is unusual since the infinitive to please originally meant only “to satisfy”, not “to be satisfied”. One solution entails interpreting you as an object pronoun and please as a verb in the third-person singular subjunctive, such that if you please actually meant if it may please you. The according constructions if thee please, if him please, if them please, etc., are indeed attestable. However, if this approach is correct, the reinterpretation of the pronoun as the subject of the phrase must be very old as we also find if thou please and so on. A second hypothesis construes "if you please" as an intransitive, ergative form taken from if it pleases you which is a calque of French s’il vous plaît. Alternatively, if you please may be a bastardization of if you'd please, which is an abbreviation of if you would please be so kind, wherein please constitutes an adverb, not a verb.

1906, Edith Nesbit, The Railway Children, Chapter 4: The engine-burglar,
The engine-driver and fireman did not see her. They were leaning out on the other side, telling the Porter a tale about a dog and a leg of mutton.
"If you please," said Roberta--but the engine was blowing off steam and no one heard her.
"If you please, Mr. Engineer," she spoke a little louder, but the Engine happened to speak at the same moment, and of course Roberta's soft little voice hadn't a chance.

(szíves) engedelmével/engedelmeddel

the former is formal; the latter is informal


тава

head

тава (tava) (тава́)


who's your daddy

What's your name? / Who's your daddy? / Is he rich like me?

1968, “Time of the Season”, in Odessey and Oracle, performed by The Zombies:

A humorous or sarcastic statement of (often sexual) superiority over someone else.

I got fisted one time [by] a very short lesbian. [mimes] "Who's your daddy?" "...Eileen?" "That's right, bitch!"

(BDSM) An assertion that one is the dominant in a relationship or situation.


sapere aude

[ˈs̠äpɛrɛ ˈäu̯d̪eː]

Literally, “dare to know”. It is from the epithet of a parable, explaining that a fool waits for the stream to stop before crossing.
The original use seems to be in Epistle II of Horace's Epistularum liber primus: Dimidium facti qui coepit habet: sapere aude (“He who has begun is half done: dare to know!”).

have courage to use your own reason, in the context of committing to tasks that need to be embarked upon, however unpleasant or awkward


魚趁生，人趁茈

/hi²⁴⁻²² tʰan²¹⁻⁵³ t͡sʰĩ⁴⁴ laŋ²⁴⁻²² tʰan²¹⁻⁵³ t͡sĩ⁵³/

/hi²⁴⁻²² tʰan⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ t͡sʰĩ³³ laŋ²⁴⁻²² tʰan⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ t͡sĩ⁵⁵⁴/

/hi¹³⁻²² tʰan²¹⁻⁵³ t͡sʰĩ⁴⁴ laŋ¹³⁻²² tʰan²¹⁻⁵³ t͡sĩ⁵³/

/hi²⁴⁻¹¹ tʰan¹¹⁻⁵³ t͡sʰĩ⁴⁴ laŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ tʰan¹¹⁻⁵³ t͡sĩ⁵³/

/hi²³⁻³³ tʰan²¹⁻⁴¹ t͡sʰĩ⁴⁴ laŋ²³⁻³³ tʰan²¹⁻⁴¹ t͡sĩ⁴¹/

Literally, "fish (should be eaten) while fresh, people (should endeavour) while young".

strike while the iron is hot
strike while the iron is hot

(Southern Min) strike while the iron is hot


打鐵趁熱

ㄉㄚˇ ㄊㄧㄝˇ ㄔㄣˋ ㄖㄜˋ

/tä²¹⁴⁻³⁵ tʰi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰən⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʐɤ⁵¹/

/taː³⁵ tʰiːt̚³ t͡sʰɐn³³ jiːt̚²/

/tä²¹⁴⁻³⁵ tʰi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰən⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʐɤ⁵¹/

/taː³⁵ tʰiːt̚³ t͡sʰɐn³³ jiːt̚²/


see you

salām ʕalaykum waraḥmat allāh wabarakātuhu

سَلَام عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةْ اللّٰه وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

വീണ്ടും കാണാം

vīṇṭuṁ kāṇāṁ

See you at the weekend!

Used as a farewell, stating the next time the speaker and interlocutor(s) will see each other

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see see, you.


más é do thoil é

/ˌmˠɑːʃ eː də ˈhɪlʲ eː/


get well soon

Expressing hope that the listener will soon recover from illness.

أَتَمَنَّى لَكَ الشِّفَاءَ الْكَامِل

expressing hope that someone recovers soon

gum fàsadh tu nas fheàrr a dh'aithghearr


apa kabar

From Malayo-Polynesian apa (“what”) and kabar (“news”) from Arabic.


ready, set, go

On your mark, get set, go
on your mark, get set, go

bersedia, siap, ya

three-command start for any action or contest


compositum jus fasque animi

Early use of this phrase in Persii Satira Secunda ("Second Satire of Persius").
It became a quoted motto by English writers.


contra jus fasque

contrary to law and justice; opposing law and justice


lights, camera, action

(cinematography) The traditional cue to the members of a (silent) film crew at the beginning of a take.

الْأَضْوَاء، الْكَامِيرَا، اِبْدَأ

traditional cue at a beginning of a take


how about that

(rhetorical question) A general statement of surprise or bemusement with regard to a particular event.; isn't that good, or unexpected, etc.


on your mark, get set, go

on your mark (get in one's lane or spot)

get set (get to the starting position)

go! (take off)

(sports) A three-command start when racing:


o.i.d.

Initialism of of iets dergelijks (“or some such”).


och så vidare

(idiomatic) and so on, et cetera, and so forth


大而化之

ㄉㄚˋ ㄦˊ ㄏㄨㄚˋ ㄓ

/tä⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ xu̯ä⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/tä⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ xu̯ä⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

He whose goodness has been filled up is what is called beautiful man. He whose completed goodness is brightly displayed is what is called a great man. When this great man exercises a transforming influence, he is what is called a sage. When the sage is beyond our knowledge, he is what is called a spirit-man.

Kě yù zhī wèi shàn, yǒu zhū jǐ zhī wèi xìn. Chōngshí zhī wèi měi, chōngshí ér yǒu guānghuī zhī wèi dà, dà'érhuàzhī zhī wèi shèng, shèng ér bùkě zhī zhī zhī wèi shén.

可欲之謂善，有諸己之謂信。充實之謂美，充實而有光輝之謂大，大而化之之謂聖，聖而不可知之之謂神。

可欲之谓善，有诸己之谓信。充实之谓美，充实而有光辉之谓大，大而化之之谓圣，圣而不可知之之谓神。

to do something carelessly and not pay attention to details


化險為夷

ㄏㄨㄚˋ ㄒㄧㄢˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄧˊ

хуа сянь вэй и

/xu̯ä⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ i³⁵/

/faː³³ hiːm³⁵ wɐi̯²¹ jiː²¹/

/hua²¹⁻⁵³ hiam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ui²⁴⁻²² i²⁴/

/xu̯ä⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ i³⁵/

/faː³³ hiːm³⁵ wɐi̯²¹ jiː²¹/

/hua²¹⁻⁵³ hiam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ui²⁴⁻²² i²⁴/


州官放火

ㄓㄡ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄈㄤˋ ㄏㄨㄛˇ

чжоугуаньфанхо

/ʈ͡ʂoʊ̯⁵⁵ ku̯än⁵⁵ fɑŋ⁵¹ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sɐu̯⁵⁵ kuːn⁵⁵ fɔːŋ³³ fɔː³⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂoʊ̯⁵⁵ ku̯än⁵⁵ fɑŋ⁵¹ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sɐu̯⁵⁵ kuːn⁵⁵ fɔːŋ³³ fɔː³⁵/

Literally: the prefectural official sets fires (but the common citizens are not allowed to light their lamps)

a tyrant boss or leader can do whatever he likes, but the common people are not allowed the slightest bit of freedom

只許州官放火，不許百姓點燈／只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯

zhǐ xǔ zhōuguān fànghuǒ, bùxǔ bǎixìng diǎndēng


既往不咎

ㄐㄧˋ ㄨㄤˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄡˋ

/t͡ɕi⁵¹ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹/

/kei̯³³ wɔːŋ¹³ pɐt̚⁵ kɐu̯³³/

/t͡ɕi⁵¹ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹/

/kei̯³³ wɔːŋ¹³ pɐt̚⁵ kɐu̯³³/

Duke Ai asked Zai Wo about the altars of the spirits of the land. Zai Wo replied, "The Xia sovereign's clan planted the pine tree about them; the men of the Yin planted the cypress; and the men of the Zhou planted the chestnut tree, meaning thereby to cause the people to be trembling in awe." When the Master heard it, he said, "Things that are done, it is needless to speak about; things that have had their course, it is needless to remonstrate about; things that are past, it is needless to blame."

The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE

Āigōng wèn shè yú Zǎi Wǒ. Zǎi Wǒ duìyuē: “Xiàhòushì yǐ sōng, yīnrén yǐ bǎi, zhōurén yǐ lì, yuē shǐ mín zhànlì.” Zǐ wén zhī yuē: “Chéngshì bùshuō, suìshì bùjiàn, jìwǎngbùjiù.”

哀公問社於宰我。宰我對曰：「夏后氏以松，殷人以柏，周人以栗，曰使民戰栗。」子聞之曰：「成事不說，遂事不諫，既往不咎。」

哀公问社于宰我。宰我对曰：「夏后氏以松，殷人以柏，周人以栗，曰使民战栗。」子闻之曰：「成事不说，遂事不谏，既往不咎。」

Things that are past, it is needless to blame.

let bygones be bygones
let bygones be bygones


只許州官放火，不許百姓點燈

只許州官放火，不許百姓點燈

ㄓˇ ㄒㄩˇ ㄓㄡ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄈㄤˋ ㄏㄨㄛˇ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄩˇ ㄅㄞˇ ㄒㄧㄥˋ ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄉㄥ

zi² heoi² zau¹ gun¹ fong³ fo², bat¹ heoi² baak³ sing³ dim² dang¹

bùxǔ bǎixìng diǎndēng [Phonetic:zhíxǔzhōuguānfànghuǒ

чжи сюй чжоугуань фанхо

бусюй байсин дяньдэн

/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ɕy²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂoʊ̯⁵⁵ ku̯än⁵⁵ fɑŋ⁵¹ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ɕy²¹⁴⁻³⁵ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕiŋ⁵¹ ti̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ tɤŋ⁵⁵/

jí héui jāu gūn fong fó, bāt héui baak sing dím dāng

dzi² hoey² dzau¹ gun¹ fong³ fo², bat⁷ hoey² baak⁸ sing³ dim² dang¹

ji² hêu² zeo¹ gun¹ fong³ fo², bed¹ hêu² bag³ xing³ dim² deng¹

/t͡siː³⁵ hɵy̯³⁵ t͡sɐu̯⁵⁵ kuːn⁵⁵ fɔːŋ³³ fɔː³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ hɵy̯³⁵ paːk̚³ sɪŋ³³ tiːm³⁵ tɐŋ⁵⁵/

From a story recorded by the Song poet Lu You.

There was a prefectural governor (of Changzhou) called Tian Deng who hated people calling his name. Whenever people did that, he always got angry, and his subordinates doing that often got beaten up or caned. As a result, people of the prefecture referred "lanterns" as "fire" (because the word for "lanterns" (燈) is pronounced the same as his name "登" (dēng)). One year during the Lantern Festival, the prefectural government allowed people outside it to visit the prefectural seat. Then the officials there published a notice and posted it at the market, saying that they would “set fire” (set up lanterns) for 3 days according to tradition.

Tiándēng zuò jùn, zì huì qí míng, chù zhě bì nù, lì zú duō bèi bǎngchī. Yúshì jǔ zhōu jiē wèi “dēng” wèi “huǒ”. Shàngyuán fàng dēng, xǔ rén rù zhōuzhì yóu guān. Lìrén suì shū bǎng jiē yú shì yuē: “Běn zhōu yī lì fànghuǒ sān rì.”

田登作郡，自諱其名，觸者必怒，吏卒多被榜笞。於是舉州皆謂「燈」為「火」。上元放燈，許人入州治遊觀。吏人遂書榜揭於市曰：「本州依例放火三日。」

田登作郡，自讳其名，触者必怒，吏卒多被榜笞。于是举州皆谓「灯」为「火」。上元放灯，许人入州治游观。吏人遂书榜揭于市曰：「本州依例放火三日。」

只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯

to onlyallow the prefectural official to set fires, but not allow the common citizens to light their lamps

This kind of impositions, which is intentional, blatant and excessively obvious, exactly means that a boss can do whatever he/she likes but his/her subordinates should have no rights at all.

Zhè zhǒng kèyì de qiángjiā, chìluǒluǒ, zhāoránruòjiē, jiǎnzhí jiù shì zhǐ xǔ zhōuguān fànghuǒ, bùxǔ bǎixìng diǎndēng.

這種刻意的強加，赤裸裸，昭然若揭，簡直就是只許州官放火，不許百姓點燈。

这种刻意的强加，赤裸裸，昭然若揭，简直就是只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯。

There was even someone who posted a photo in which Newsom previously attended an indoor party in order to satirize his administrative manner since he can do whatever he likes but the common people are not allowed the slightest bit of freedom.

2021 March 7 (UTC+8), 李佳音, 無論接種疫苗與否 加州當局推雙層口罩 (California authorities suggested wearing two masks at once whether a person was vaccinated or not)

Gèng yǒu mínzhòng tiē chū zǎoqián Niǔsēn jìnxíng duōrén shìnèi jùhuì de zhàopiàn, yǐ fěngcì Niǔsēn zhǐ xǔ zhōuguān fànghuǒ, bùxǔ bǎixìng diǎndēng de shīzhèng zuòpài.

更有民眾貼出早前紐森進行多人室內聚會的照片，以諷刺紐森只許州官放火，不許百姓點燈的施政作派。

更有民众贴出早前纽森进行多人室内聚会的照片，以讽刺纽森只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯的施政作派。

(figurative) The authorities can do what they like, but the common people are not allowed the slightest bit of freedom (Used in criticism of double standards of those with power)

Changzhou
Lantern Festival
Lu You
Song dynasty


各顯神通

ㄍㄜˋ ㄒㄧㄢˇ ㄕㄣˊ ㄊㄨㄥ

гэсяньшэньтун

/kɤ⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂən³⁵ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

/kɤ⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂən³⁵ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

Literally: (The Eight Immortals cross the sea) each revealing their divine power.

everybody using their talents to achieve a common goal


八仙過海，各顯神通

TheEight Immortals cross the sea, each revealing their divine power

ㄅㄚ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄏㄞˇ

ㄍㄜˋ ㄒㄧㄢˇ ㄕㄣˊ ㄊㄨㄥ

baat³ sin¹ gwo³ hoi², gok³ hin² san⁴ tung¹

гэсяньшэньтун

/pä⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ku̯ɔ⁵¹ xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ kɤ⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂən³⁵ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

baat⁸ sin¹ gwo³ hoi², gok⁸ hin² san⁴ tung¹

bad³ xin¹ guo³ hoi², gog³ hin² sen⁴ tung¹

/paːt̚³ siːn⁵⁵ kʷɔː³³ hɔːi̯³⁵ kɔːk̚³ hiːn³⁵ sɐn²¹ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

everybody using their talents or skills to achieve a common goal


the buck stops here

Popularized by US President Harry Truman. The phrase is based on the metaphorical expression passing the buck, derived from poker gameplay, that came to mean "passing blame", or absolving oneself of responsibility or concern by denying authority or jurisdiction over a given matter.

Well, nobody else can make a decision but me because I was the President and the final decision comes to the President, you know. I used to have a sign on my desk that said, "The Buck Stops Here." The buck stops at the president's desk when he's president of the United States, and he either makes the decisions or he lets them go by default, and you can't afford to do that when you're president.

1965, Harry S. Truman, 0:20 from the start, in MP2002-401 Former President Truman Discusses "The Buck Stops Here", Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives Identifier: 595162:

1994 January 25, William J. Clinton, State of the Union Address, 2004 Gutenberg eBook,
If you will stick with this plan, we will post three consecutive years of declining deficits for the first time since Harry Truman lived in the White House. And once again, the buck stops here.

(idiomatic) A statement that no excuses will be made, that the speaker is going to take direct responsibility for matters, rather than pass the responsibility to higher authorities.

la responsabilité commence ici

die Verantwortung liegt hier bei mir und nirgendwo anders

die Verantwortung liegt hier bei uns und nirgendwo anders


安心立命

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (安心立命):
* → Japanese: 安心立命(あんしんりつめい) (anshinritsumei)
* → Korean: 안심입명(安心立命) (ansimimmyeong)

ㄢ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄌㄧˋ ㄇㄧㄥˋ

аньсиньлимин

/ˀän⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ miŋ⁵¹/

/ˀän⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ miŋ⁵¹/


не знаю

head

не зна́ю • (ne znáju)

не зна́ю (canonical)
ne znáju (romanization)


viso gero

[ˌvʲɪso ˈɡʲæro]

vìsas + gẽras, literally “all good”. For the usage of the genitive case, most likely an ellipsis of linkiu jums viso gero (“I wish you all good”), or a similar verb that takes the genitive case. Compare labos nakties, labos dienos.


Sesam, öffne dich

From its use in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, translating French Sésame, ouvre-toi in Antoine Galland's version of the Ali Baba story in the One Thousand and One Nights, possibly based on an oral Arabic source.

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
Antoine Galland
One Thousand and One Nights
de:Ali Baba


μιλάς αγγλικά

head

Μιλάς αγγλικά;

Μιλάς αγγλικά; • (Milás angliká?)

el-phrase

Μιλάς αγγλικά;

Μιλάς αγγλικά; • (Milás angliká?)

Μιλάς αγγλικά (canonical)
Milás angliká? (romanization)

Do you speak English
do you speak English

(informal, in the singular) Do you speak English? ^†


chacun pour soi

LL-Q150 (fra)-WikiLucas00-chacun pour soi.wav

every man for himself
every man for himself


μιλάτε αγγλικά

head

Μιλάτε αγγλικά;

Μιλάτε αγγλικά; • (Miláte angliká?)

el-phrase

Μιλάτε αγγλικά;

Μιλάτε αγγλικά; • (Miláte angliká?)

Μιλάτε αγγλικά (canonical)
Miláte angliká? (romanization)

(formal, in the plural) Do you speak English? ^†


hablas inglés

do you speak English
do you speak English


一介不取

ㄧ ㄐㄧㄝˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄩˇ

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ kaːi̯³³ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯³⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ kaːi̯³³ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯³⁵/

(of a public servant who is not corrupt) does not take a single penny


驚弓之鳥

a bird frightened by [the mere sound of] a bow [that shoots arrows]

ㄐㄧㄥ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄓ ㄋㄧㄠˇ

цзингунчжиняо

/t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ni̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/kɪŋ⁵⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ niːu̯¹³/

/t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ni̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/kɪŋ⁵⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ niːu̯¹³/

panic-stricken person; someone who is easily frightened due to past experiences of attack or shock


有機

/jɐu̯¹³ kei̯⁵⁵/

/jɐu̯¹³ kei̯⁵⁵/

(Hong Kong Cantonese) Short for 有機會 / 有机会.


一手遮天

to block out the sky with one hand (and pretend that it is not there)

ㄧ ㄕㄡˇ ㄓㄜ ㄊㄧㄢ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂɤ⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ sɐu̯³⁵ t͡sɛː⁵⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂɤ⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ sɐu̯³⁵ t͡sɛː⁵⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵/

to hide the truth (from the public or masses)


獨立自主

ㄉㄨˊ ㄌㄧˋ ㄗˋ ㄓㄨˇ

/tu³⁵ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡sz̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/tʊk̚² laːp̚² t͡siː²² t͡syː³⁵/

/tʊk̚² lɐp̚² t͡siː²² t͡syː³⁵/

/tu³⁵ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡sz̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/tʊk̚² laːp̚² t͡siː²² t͡syː³⁵/

/tʊk̚² lɐp̚² t͡siː²² t͡syː³⁵/

Popularized by Mao Zedong during the founding of the People's Republic of China, however usage may be attested before then.

to pursue a foreign policy of peaceful development, autonomy and self-reliance


d.c. al coda

(music) A music notation roughly meaning "go back to the beginning, playing everything again up to the coda."


what am I, chopped liver

You've been nice enough, but what am I, chopped liver or something?

1949, Joey Adams, The Curtain Never Falls, New York, N.Y.: F. Fell, →OCLC, page 175:

rhetorical question
rhetorical question#English

A rhetorical question used to indicate that the speaker is feeling left out or slighted by attention given to another person or persons.


maakt niet uit

it's all right, it's OK, it doesn't make a difference


一孔之見

ㄧ ㄎㄨㄥˇ ㄓ ㄐㄧㄢˋ

икунчжицзянь

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ kʰʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ hʊŋ³⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ kiːn³³/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ kʰʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ hʊŋ³⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ kiːn³³/

As against this, vulgar “practical people” respect experience but despise theory, and therefore cannot have a comprehensive view of an entire objective process, lack clear direction and long-range perspective, and are complacent over occasional successes and glimpses of the truth.

1937, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《實踐論》 (On Practice), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

Yōngsú de shìwùzhǔyìjiā bùshì zhèyàng, tāmen zūnzhòng jīngyàn ér kànqīng lǐlùn, yīn'ér bùnéng tōngguān kèguān guòchéng de quántǐ, quēfá míngquè de fāngzhēn, méiyǒu yuǎndà de qiántú, zhānzhānzìxǐ yú yīdézhīgōng hé yīkǒngzhījiàn.

庸俗的事務主義家不是這樣，他們尊重經驗而看輕理論，因而不能通觀客觀過程的全體，缺乏明確的方針，沒有遠大的前途，沾沾自喜於一得之功和一孔之見。

庸俗的事务主义家不是这样，他们尊重经验而看轻理论，因而不能通观客观过程的全体，缺乏明确的方针，没有远大的前途，沾沾自喜于一得之功和一孔之见。


一日千里

ㄧ ㄖˋ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄌㄧˇ

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ jɐt̚² t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ lei̯¹³/

/t͡sek̚⁴⁻² d͡zik̚⁴⁻² t͡sʰõĩ³³⁻²³ li⁵²/

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ jɐt̚² t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ lei̯¹³/

/t͡sek̚⁴⁻² d͡zik̚⁴⁻² t͡sʰõĩ³³⁻²³ li⁵²/


日積月累

ㄖˋ ㄐㄧ ㄩㄝˋ ㄌㄟˇ

/ʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ ɥɛ⁵¹ leɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚² t͡sɪk̚⁵ jyːt̚² lɵy̯²²/

/zit̚⁴⁻³² t͡siɪk̚³²⁻⁴ ɡuat̚⁴⁻³² lui⁴¹/

/zit̚⁴⁻³² t͡siɪk̚³²⁻⁴ ɡue(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ lui³³/

/zit̚⁴⁻³² t͡siɪk̚³²⁻⁴ ɡuat̚⁴⁻³² lui³³/

/ʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ ɥɛ⁵¹ leɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚² t͡sɪk̚⁵ jyːt̚² lɵy̯²²/

/zit̚⁴⁻³² t͡siɪk̚³²⁻⁴ ɡuat̚⁴⁻³² lui⁴¹/

/zit̚⁴⁻³² t͡siɪk̚³²⁻⁴ ɡue(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ lui³³/

/zit̚⁴⁻³² t͡siɪk̚³²⁻⁴ ɡuat̚⁴⁻³² lui³³/

to accumulate over a long period; gradual accumulation


I approve this message

the elective law passed in 2002
w:Stand By Your Ad provision

(US politics) a phrase said by candidates for federal office to show their consent to comply with the elective law passed in 2002.

(US, humorous) a phrase said after or before one makes a declaration to attach a mock solemnity to a strongly held belief


het erom spannen

Het zal erom spannen.


一毛不拔

ㄧ ㄇㄠˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄅㄚˊ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ mɑʊ̯³⁵ pu⁵¹ pä³⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ mou̯²¹ pɐt̚⁵ pɐt̚²/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ mɑʊ̯³⁵ pu⁵¹ pä³⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ mou̯²¹ pɐt̚⁵ pɐt̚²/

From Mencius's comment about Yangism and Mohism

Mencius said, 'The principle of the philosopher Yang was "Each one for himself." Though he might have benefited the whole kingdom by plucking out a single hair, he would not have done it. The philosopher Mo loves all equally. If by rubbing smooth his whole body from the crown to the heel, he could have benefited the kingdom, he would have done it. Zi Mo holds a medium between these. By holding that medium, he is nearer the right. But by holding it without leaving room for the exigency of circumstances, it becomes like their holding their one point. The reason why I hate that holding to one point is the injury it does to the way of right principle. It takes up one point and disregards a hundred others.'

Mèngzǐ yuē: “Yángzǐ qǔ wèi wǒ, bá yī máo ér lì tiānxià, bù wèi yě. Mòzǐ jiān'ài, mó dǐng fàng zhǒng lì tiānxià, wèi zhī. Zǐmò zhí zhōng, zhí zhōng wèi jìn zhī, zhí zhōng wú quán, yóu zhí yī yě. Suǒ è zhí yī zhě, wèi qí zéi dào yě, jǔ yī ér fèi bǎi yě.”

孟子曰：「楊子取為我，拔一毛而利天下，不為也。墨子兼愛，摩頂放踵利天下，為之。子莫執中，執中為近之，執中無權，猶執一也。所惡執一者，為其賊道也，舉一而廢百也。」

孟子曰：「杨子取为我，拔一毛而利天下，不为也。墨子兼爱，摩顶放踵利天下，为之。子莫执中，执中为近之，执中无权，犹执一也。所恶执一者，为其贼道也，举一而废百也。」

won't even pull out a single hair (to give someone), playing on the double meaning of 毛 (small unit of currency vs. hair)

梁新記牙刷——一毛不拔

loeng4 san1 gei3 ngaa4 caat3-2, jat1 mou4 bat1 bat6


一字千金

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (一字千金):
* → Japanese: 一(いち)字(じ)千金(せんきん) (ichiji senkin)

ㄧ ㄗˋ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄐㄧㄣ

ицзыцяньцзинь

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕin⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡siː²² t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ kɐm⁵⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕin⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡siː²² t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ kɐm⁵⁵/

When Lu Buwei wrote Lushi Chunqiu, he presented the finished book at the gate of Hanyang and offered a thousand taels to anyone who could correct even one character.

extraordinary writing; uncommonly good writing


一片冰心

ㄧ ㄆㄧㄢˋ ㄅㄧㄥ ㄒㄧㄣ

ипяньбинсинь

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ pʰi̯ɛn⁵¹ piŋ⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ pʰiːn³³ pɪŋ⁵⁵ sɐm⁵⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ pʰi̯ɛn⁵¹ piŋ⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ pʰiːn³³ pɪŋ⁵⁵ sɐm⁵⁵/

From a poem by Wang Changling (王昌齡, 698–756)

Answer, if they ask of me at Loyang:
"One-hearted as ice in a crystal vase."

Wang Changling (王昌齡), c. 742, At Hibiscus Inn Parting With Xin Jian (《芙蓉樓送辛漸》), translated by Witter Bynner.

Luòyáng qīnyǒu rú xiàngwèn, yīpiàn bīngxīn zài yùhú.

洛陽親友如相問，一片冰心在玉壺。

洛阳亲友如相问，一片冰心在玉壶。


morții

Morții voștri de proști.


一字褒貶

ㄧ ㄗˋ ㄅㄠ ㄅㄧㄢˇ

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹ pɑʊ̯⁵⁵ pi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡siː²² pou̯⁵⁵ piːn³⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹ pɑʊ̯⁵⁵ pi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡siː²² pou̯⁵⁵ piːn³⁵/

一 (yī, “one”) + 字 (zì, “character”) + 褒貶／褒贬 (bāobiǎn, “to praise or denigrate; to pass judgement”)

zh-l

a concise and deliberate choice of words


鏡花水月

ㄐㄧㄥˋ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄩㄝˋ

цзинхуашуйюэ

/t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹ xu̯ä⁵⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɥɛ⁵¹/

/kɛːŋ³³ faː⁵⁵ sɵy̯³⁵ jyːt̚²/

/t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹ xu̯ä⁵⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɥɛ⁵¹/

/kɛːŋ³³ faː⁵⁵ sɵy̯³⁵ jyːt̚²/

Huiyuan (Buddhist)
Kingdom of Khotan
Kumārajīva
Mahāyāna
Prajñāpāramitā

From metaphors common in Mahāyāna Buddhism, especially in the Prajñāpāramitā literature: Sanskrit प्रतिबिम्ब (pratibimba, “reflected image”) and दकचन्द्र (dakacandra, literally “water-moon”). Early attestations in Chinese include the translation of the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitāsūtra by the Khotanese monk Mokṣala (無羅叉) [291]. The following attestations are from the works of Kumārajīva:
:
:
像 (xiàng, “image”) in the original literature has been modified to 花 (huā, “flower”), mostly for poetic purposes.

der

If it is a formless object, then it is different from the matters of today. It is like an image in the mirror or the moon in the water, which appear to have a form but cannot be touched and such; these are formless.

Late 4th century–early 5th century, Hui Yuan (慧遠) and Kumārajīva (鳩摩羅什 (Jiūmóluóshí)), The Correspondences of Hui Yuan and Kumārajīva (《鳩摩羅什法師大義》), T1856

Ruò fēisè zhī wù, zé yì jīn shì. Rú jìng zhōng xiàng, shuǐ zhōng yuè, jiàn rú yǒu sè, ér wú chù děng, zé fēisè yě.

若非色之物，則異今事。如鏡中像，水中月，見如有色，而無觸等，則非色也。

若非色之物，则异今事。如镜中像，水中月，见如有色，而无触等，则非色也。

Understanding all the dharmas is like fantasy, like a flame, like the moon in the water, like vanity, like an echo, like the (illusive) city of the gandharvas, like a dream, like a shadow, like an image in the mirror, like change.

c. 404, Kumārajīva (鳩摩羅什 (Jiūmóluóshí)), trans. The Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra (《摩訶般若波羅蜜經》), T0223

Jiěliǎo zhū fǎ, rú huàn, rú yàn, rú shuǐ zhōng yuè, rú xūkōng, rú xiǎng, rú qiántàpó chéng, rú mèng, rú yǐng, rú jìng zhōng xiàng, rú huà.

解了諸法，如幻，如焰，如水中月，如虛空，如響，如揵闥婆城，如夢，如影，如鏡中像，如化。

解了诸法，如幻，如焰，如水中月，如虚空，如响，如揵闼婆城，如梦，如影，如镜中像，如化。

(literal) flowers reflected on a mirror and the moon reflected in the water

Amitābha, life in the world is originally a fantasy.

Qing dynasty, Qian Cai (錢彩), Jin Feng (金豐), 《說岳全傳》

Ēmítuófó, wéirén zàishì, yuánshì jìnghuāshuǐyuè.

阿彌陀佛，為人在世，原是鏡花水月。

阿弥陀佛，为人在世，原是镜花水月。

Qing dynasty, Hua Guangsheng (華廣生), 《白雪遺音》

Jìnghuāshuǐyuè xián xiāoqiǎn, hébì míngxián shèngdì féng.

鏡花水月閑消遣，何必名賢勝地逢。

镜花水月闲消遣，何必名贤胜地逢。

Most of these high earnings yields, which banks promised that the investors would have, became illusions at last because they failed to meet the requirements.

Yínháng chéngnuò de nàxiē gāo shōuyìlǜ, zuìhòu duōbàn yīn bù fúhé tiáojiàn ér chéng jìnghuāshuǐyuè.

銀行承諾的那些高收益率，最後多半因不符合條件而成鏡花水月。

银行承诺的那些高收益率，最后多半因不符合条件而成镜花水月。

(figurative) fantasy, illusion, mere shadow, phantom, vision, something that is visible but having no substance

(figurative) the subtle and profound beauty of poems that should not be comprehended by words literally


日行千里

ㄖˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄌㄧˇ

жи син цяньли

/ʐ̩⁵¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ʐ̩⁵¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

It was said that Red Hare (Lü Bu's horse) could travel 1000 li in a single day (during the Three Kingdoms period, 1000 li would have equated to roughly 415.8 km or 258.2118 miles)

able to travel great distances in a single day


and your little dog too

From a line spoken by the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz to Dorothy and her dog Toto: "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!".

(humorous) A statement that not only will the person being addressed be punished but their conspirators will also.


如履平地

ㄖㄨˊ ㄌㄩˇ ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄉㄧˋ

жу люй пинди

/ʐu³⁵ ly²¹⁴⁻²¹ pʰiŋ³⁵ ti⁵¹/

/jyː²¹ lei̯¹³ pʰɪŋ²¹ tei̯²²/

/ʐu³⁵ ly²¹⁴⁻²¹ pʰiŋ³⁵ ti⁵¹/

/jyː²¹ lei̯¹³ pʰɪŋ²¹ tei̯²²/


that's all she wrote

Unknown; circa 1940s; thought to be a reference to Dear John letters. Ernest Tubb recorded a song titled "That's All She Wrote" (sheet music published in 1942), but earlier printed references exist (e.g. The Brownsville Herald, June 1935).

If you see a long yellow streak of all fine smoke / That’s my rocket pulling out, that’s all she wrote / […]

1951, Jackie Brenston, “My Real Gone Rocket”:

There was a note upon my door... I won’t be back no more / That’s all she wrote, "Dear John".

[…] Goodbye — that’s all she wrote.

Then I got Mary pregnant and man that was all she wrote / And for my nineteenth birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat

Inside information taken down note by note / A silent footstep that's all she wrote

Bye bye, baby, bye-bye, she said in a letter / And that was all she wrote

He said a prayer, and that was all she wrote

2004, Gaither Vocal Band, “I Catch 'Em, God Cleans 'Em”:

I get five short beeps when the machine starts to boot, and then that's all she wrote[…]

2004, Michael Graves, A+ Guide to PC Hardware Maintenance & Repair, page 525:

I, I, got a little paycheck / You got big plans and you gotta move / And I don't feel nothing at all / And you can't feel nothing small / "Honey, I love you", that's all she wrote

2016 February 5, Wesley Schultz and Jeremy Fraites, “Ophelia”, in Cleopatra, performed by The Lumineers:

(idiomatic, originally US) Indicating an abrupt termination of a project, or of one’s hopes or plans.


eos

Acronym of ei osaa sanoa or en osaa sanoa (“undecided, do not know, cannot say (in forms or surveys)”)


noswaith dda

/ˌnɔswɛθ ˈðaː/

/ˌnɔswɛˈðaː/

/ˌnɔswɛθ ˈðaː/

/ˌnɔswɛˈðaː/


tell the truth

Then it sneezed. Considering what it was smelling, that was no surprise. Tell the truth, I'd gotten so used to the jof jof dung that I didn't notice it anymore.

1991, Mike Sirota, Bicycling Through Space and Time:

(idiomatic, informal) Used to positively assert the frank honesty of an associated statement of set of statements; equivalent to "to tell the truth".

老實說

asserting the frank honesty of an associated statement


aika ajoin

Tietokone aika ajoin sekoilee, jumittuu tai tarjoaa sinistä ruutua.

From time to time my computer screws up, gets stuck or shows a blue screen.

from time to time, periodically, at intervals


the British are coming

From a famous line supposedly uttered by the American Paul Revere.

A warning that enemies are about and a battle is about to begin.


yms.

Initialism of ynnä muuta sellaista (“etc., and so on”).


探囊取物

ㄊㄢˋ ㄋㄤˊ ㄑㄩˇ ㄨˋ

таньнан цюй у

/tʰän⁵¹ nɑŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ u⁵¹/

/tʰän⁵¹ nɑŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ u⁵¹/

探囊 (search one's pocket) + 取 (take out) + 物 (something)

within one's grasp; extremely easy; like taking candy from a baby


擇主而事

ㄗㄜˊ ㄓㄨˇ ㄦˊ ㄕˋ

/t͡sɤ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/t͡sɤ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

* c. 1330 - 1400: Luo Guanzhong, Romance of the Three Kingdoms/Chapter 3 and Chapter 14
*: 良禽擇木而棲，賢臣擇主而事。
*:: A good bird chooses (for himself) the tree upon which to perch, the talented subject chooses (for himself) the lord that he shall serve.

to choose a talented and wise lord under which to serve


敬賢禮士

ㄐㄧㄥˋ ㄒㄧㄢˊ ㄌㄧˇ ㄕˋ

цзинсяньлиши

/t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛn³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/kɪŋ³³ jiːn²¹ lɐi̯¹³ siː²²/

/t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛn³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/kɪŋ³³ jiːn²¹ lɐi̯¹³ siː²²/

From 虞溥 (Yu Pu)'s《江表傳》 Accounts from the Area South of the Yangtze River, quoted in Pei Songzhi's Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms:
*

Sun Quan, the Brigand-Queller, is brilliant and compassionate. He treats worthies with respect and elites with courtesy. The heroes and braves south of the Yangtze have all attached themselves to him. He already holds six commanderies, and his troops are superb and grain supplies, plentiful. It is enough for an undertaking.

Pei Songzhi, Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms, circa 5ᵗʰ century CE

Sūn Tǎolǔ cōngmíng rénhuì, jìngxiánlǐshì, Jiāngbiǎo yīngháo, xián guīfù zhī, yǐ jù yǒu liùjùn, bīngjīng liángduō, zú yǐ lìshì.

孫討虜聰明仁惠，敬賢禮士，江表英豪，咸歸附之，已據有六郡，兵精糧多，足以立事。

孙讨虏聪明仁惠，敬贤礼士，江表英豪，咸归附之，已据有六郡，兵精粮多，足以立事。

to respect people of talent and ability (said of a superior)


良禽擇木

ㄌㄧㄤˊ ㄑㄧㄣˊ ㄗㄜˊ ㄇㄨˋ

лянциньцзэму

/li̯ɑŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰin³⁵ t͡sɤ³⁵ mu⁵¹/

/li̯ɑŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰin³⁵ t͡sɤ³⁵ mu⁵¹/

See 良禽擇木而棲／良禽择木而栖 (liángqín zé mù ér qī).

zh-l

良禽擇木而棲／良禽择木而栖 (liángqín zé mù ér qī)

a good bird chooses the tree (upon which to perch)

良禽擇木而棲 良禽擇木而棲#Chinese

良禽择木而栖 良禽择木而栖#Chinese

Synonym of 良禽擇木而棲／良禽择木而栖 (liángqín zé mù ér qī)


擎天駕海

ㄑㄧㄥˊ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄐㄧㄚˋ ㄏㄞˇ

цинтянь цзя хай

/t͡ɕʰiŋ³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵¹ xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

擎天 (hold up the sky) + 駕 (to drive; to ride) + 海 (the ocean)

unusually talented; able to do extraordinary things


事不宜遲

ㄕˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧˊ ㄔˊ

/ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ i³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩³⁵/

/siː²² pɐt̚⁵ jiː²¹ t͡sʰiː²¹/

/ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ i³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩³⁵/

/siː²² pɐt̚⁵ jiː²¹ t͡sʰiː²¹/

now is the time; the matter cannot be put off; it must be done right away


廢嫡立庶

ㄈㄟˋ ㄉㄧˊ ㄌㄧˋ ㄕㄨˋ

фэй ди ли шу

/feɪ̯⁵¹ ti³⁵ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂu⁵¹/

/feɪ̯⁵¹ ti³⁵ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂu⁵¹/

(archaic) to depose the son of the empress and replace him with the son of the emperor's concubine


江河日下

the (water level) of the streams and rivers goes down by the day (because of the change of seasons)

ㄐㄧㄤ ㄏㄜˊ ㄖˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ

/t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ xɤ³⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕi̯ä⁵¹/

/kɔːŋ⁵⁵ hɔː²¹ jɐt̚² haː²²/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ xɤ³⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕi̯ä⁵¹/

/kɔːŋ⁵⁵ hɔː²¹ jɐt̚² haː²²/

to worsen by the day; to get worse with each passing day


所見略同

ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄌㄩㄝˋ ㄊㄨㄥˊ

соцзяньлюэтун

/su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ ly̯ɛ⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵/

/su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ ly̯ɛ⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵/


不足為慮

ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄨˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄌㄩˋ

/pu⁵¹ t͡su³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ ly⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵ wɐi̯²¹ lɵy̯²²/

/pu⁵¹ t͡su³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ ly⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵ wɐi̯²¹ lɵy̯²²/


好謀無斷

ㄏㄠˋ ㄇㄡˊ ㄨˊ ㄉㄨㄢˋ

хаомоу у дуань

/xɑʊ̯⁵¹ moʊ̯³⁵ u³⁵ tu̯än⁵¹/

/xɑʊ̯⁵¹ moʊ̯³⁵ u³⁵ tu̯än⁵¹/

to be fond of scheming but lacking in judgement


how are you doing

(informal) Alternative form of how do you do


一粒老鼠屎，壞了一鍋粥

One piece of mouseexcrement spoiled one (whole) pot of rice congee.

ㄧ ㄌㄧˋ ㄌㄠˇ ㄕㄨˇ ㄕˇ

ㄏㄨㄞˋ ˙ㄌㄜ ㄧ ㄍㄨㄛ ㄓㄡ

jat¹ lap¹ lou⁵ syu² si², waai⁶ liu⁵ jat¹ wo¹ zuk¹

yī lì lǎoshǔshǐ, huài le yī guō zhōu [Phonetic:yílìláoshúshǐ,huàileyìguōzhōu]

и ли лаошуши

хуай лэ и го чжоу

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ li⁵¹ lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʂu²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯aɪ̯⁵¹ lə¹ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ku̯ɔ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂoʊ̯⁵⁵/

yāt lāp lóuh syú sí, waaih líuh yāt wō jūk

jat⁷ lap⁷ lou⁵ sy² si², waai⁶ liu⁵ jat⁷ wo¹ dzuk⁷

yed¹ leb¹ lou⁵ xu² xi², wai⁶ liu⁵ yed¹ wo¹ zug¹

/jɐt̚⁵ lɐp̚⁵ lou̯¹³ syː³⁵ siː³⁵ waːi̯²² liːu̯¹³ jɐt̚⁵ wɔː⁵⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵/

One bad apple spoils the whole bunch. / One ill weed mars a whole pot of porridge.


þú og hvaða her

From þú ("you") + og ("and") + hvaða ("which") + her ("army").


應天順人

ㄧㄥˋ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄕㄨㄣˋ ㄖㄣˊ

интяньшуньжэнь

/iŋ⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʂu̯ən⁵¹ ʐən³⁵/

/iŋ⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʂu̯ən⁵¹ ʐən³⁵/

to conform to the wishes of both heaven and the people


BION

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of believe it or not.


張三李四

ㄓㄤ ㄙㄢ ㄌㄧˇ ㄙˋ

чжансаньлисы

/ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵⁵ sän⁵⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ sz̩⁵¹/

/t͡sœːŋ⁵⁵ saːm⁵⁵ lei̯¹³ sei̯³³/

/ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵⁵ sän⁵⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ sz̩⁵¹/

/t͡sœːŋ⁵⁵ saːm⁵⁵ lei̯¹³ sei̯³³/


張冠李戴

ㄓㄤ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄌㄧˇ ㄉㄞˋ

чжангуаньлидай

/ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵⁵ ku̯än⁵⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ taɪ̯⁵¹/

/t͡sœːŋ⁵⁵ kuːn⁵⁵ lei̯¹³ taːi̯³³/

/ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵⁵ ku̯än⁵⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ taɪ̯⁵¹/

/t͡sœːŋ⁵⁵ kuːn⁵⁵ lei̯¹³ taːi̯³³/

(figurative) to confuse a person with someone else; to confuse one thing with another


神色不變

ㄕㄣˊ ㄙㄜˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄅㄧㄢˋ

шэньсэбубянь

/ʂən³⁵ sɤ⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ pi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/ʂən³⁵ sɤ⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ pi̯ɛn⁵¹/


that's what she said

First attested in the early 20th century. "She" refers to the speaker's imagined sexual partner.

etydate

Coordinate term: that's what he said

Some seemed bored and irritated by the priapic yahooism and overwillingness of peers to read a sexual double entendre into the most innocuous remark. "No matter what you say," said one student, "someone is going to respond with ‘That's what she said.’ "

2008 March 2, Ron Fletcher, “In the Internet Age, a few lessons about bad jokes, good taste”, in Boston Globe, retrieved 2009-04-07:

So this morning we pulled up a pumpkin-pancake recipe on the kitchen laptop. Just one problem: My wife couldn't read it from where she was mixing. "Can't you make it bigger?" she asked. (Go ahead, insert your own "that's what she said" joke here. No class.)

2008 November 24, Rick Broida, “Quick Tip: Increase the Font Size in Your Browser”, in PCWorld.com, retrieved 2009-04-07:

(US, humorous, idiomatic) A joking retort that draws attention to the possibility of sexual innuendo in what was just said.


熟能生巧

ㄕㄨˊ ㄋㄥˊ ㄕㄥ ㄑㄧㄠˇ

ㄕㄡˊ ㄋㄥˊ ㄕㄥ ㄑㄧㄠˇ

/ʂu³⁵ nɤŋ³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

шоунэншэнцяо

/ʂoʊ̯³⁵ nɤŋ³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sʊk̚² nɐŋ²¹ sɐŋ⁵⁵ haːu̯³⁵/

/ʂu³⁵ nɤŋ³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ʂoʊ̯³⁵ nɤŋ³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sʊk̚² nɐŋ²¹ sɐŋ⁵⁵ haːu̯³⁵/

First attested to the story The Oil Peddler by Ouyang Xiu.

Chen Yaozi, titled Kangsu, was good at archery. He was unparalleled at the time, so he boasted of his achievements. Once, he was shooting in the yard at home when an oil peddler put down his load and stood up, looked, and did not leave for a long time. The peddler saw him hit eight to nine arrows in ten, but nodded slightly. Kangsu asked: "do you know how to shoot? isn't my shooting good?" The peddler said: "you have nothing but good technique." Kangsu angrily replied: "how dare you underestimate my archery?" The peddler said: "through my knowledge in pouring oil." Hence, he took out a bottle gourd, placing it on the ground, and covered the mouth with a coin, slowly using a ladle and dripped the oil in. The oil drips through the hole on the coin, but the coin wasn't wet. So, he said: "I have nothing too, my hands are merely proficient." Kangsu sent him away with a smile.

Chén Kāngsùgōng Yáozī shàn shè, dāngshì wúshuāng, gōng yì yǐ cǐ zìjīn. Cháng shè yú jiā pǔ, yǒu mài yóu wēng shì dān ér lì, nì zhī, jiǔ ér bù qù. Jiàn qí fā shǐ shí zhōng bā jiǔ, dàn wēi hàn zhī. Kāngsù wèn yuē: “Rǔ yì zhī shè hū? Wú shè bù yì jīng hū?” Wēng yuē: “Wú tā, dàn shǒu shú ěr.” Kāngsù fèn rán yuē: “Ěr ān gǎn qīng wú shè!” Wēng yuē: “Yǐ wǒ zhuó yóu zhī zhī.” Nǎi qǔ yī húlú zhì yú dì, yǐ qián fù qí kǒu, xú yǐ biāo zhuó yóu lì zhī, zì qián kǒng rù, ér qián bù shī. Yīn yuē: “Wǒ yì wú tā, wéi shǒu shú ěr.” Kāngsù xiào ér qiǎn zhī.

陳康肅公堯咨善射，當世無雙，公亦以此自矜。嘗射於家圃，有賣油翁釋擔而立，睨之，久而不去。見其發矢十中八九，但微頷之。康肅問曰：「汝亦知射乎？吾射不亦精乎？」翁曰：「無他，但手熟爾。」康肅忿然曰：「爾安敢輕吾射！」翁曰：「以我酌油知之。」乃取一葫蘆置於地，以錢覆其口，徐以杓酌油瀝之，自錢孔入，而錢不濕。因曰：「我亦無他，惟手熟爾。」康肅笑而遣之。

陈康肃公尧咨善射，当世无双，公亦以此自矜。尝射于家圃，有卖油翁释担而立，睨之，久而不去。见其发矢十中八九，但微颔之。康肃问曰：「汝亦知射乎？吾射不亦精乎？」翁曰：「无他，但手熟尔。」康肃忿然曰：「尔安敢轻吾射！」翁曰：「以我酌油知之。」乃取一葫芦置于地，以钱覆其口，徐以杓酌油沥之，自钱孔入，而钱不湿。因曰：「我亦无他，惟手熟尔。」康肃笑而遣之。

practice makes perfect
practice makes perfect


jwt

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of je weet toch


so be it

Minister of State: Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Prime Minister, I beg to introduce a bill entitled an Act to amend the Interpretation Act.
Clerk: Interpretation (Amendment) Bill.
Speaker: Second reading what day?
Minister of State: At the next available sitting.
Speaker: So be it.

From storm to storm ! So be it, then. Born in throes, ’tis fit that man should live in pains and die in pangs! So be it, then! Here's stout stuff for woe to work on. So be it, then.

1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Doubloon”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 480:

It doesn't matter which party it is. If the people choose one, a Democrat, then so be it.

2009 February 22, This Week with George Stephanopoulos, via ABC:

The reason was that China's stability was at stake, according to Singapore's statesman Lee Kuan Yew. He once said: "He (Deng Xiaoping) took over and said, "If I have to shoot 200,000 students to save China from another 100 years of disorder, so be it."

2014 October 10, Diane M. Francis, “Why Does China Get To Renege on Its Promise of Democracy in Hong Kong?”, in HuffPost:

(idiomatic, subjunctive) An indication of acceptance, especially of a situation which is not entirely favorable.


ikke bare bare

Det er ikke bare bare å leve fattig.

(idiomatic) Not so/that easy; literally "not simply simply".


CF

Alternative form of cf. (“confer, compare”)


nz

(text messaging) Abbreviation of není zač: np (no problem)


NG

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of ne gravas (“it doesn't matter, it's not important”).


JR

(Hong Kong, law, informal) judicial review


HB

Alternative form: HBD

(Internet slang, text messaging) Abbreviation of happy birthday.


klukkan

From klukka (meaning "clock") with a definite article. Literally meaning "the clock".

Ég kem klukkan þrjú.

Klukkan er fimm.

Hvað er klukkan?

Klukkan er kortér yfir þrjú.


snakke i munnen på hverandre

Slutt å snakke i munnen på hverandre! Jeg hører ingenting!

Stop talking over each other! I can't hear anything!

To talk at the same time so that neither is heard, to talk over each other


καλή χρονιά

head

καλή χρονιά • (kalí chroniá)


ktp

Initialism of kaj tiel plu (“and so on”).


what's eating

What's eating him? I've never seen him this worked up over anything before.

(idiomatic) What is wrong with...? What is the problem with... (somebody)? Inquired regarding somebody who seems upset, worried, angry, etc.


where you at

Last time I saw ya, you were flippin' burgers; where you at now?

(proscribed, nonstandard, slang, set phrase) Where are you? Used as an inquiry of location, especially figuratively.


ég skil ekki

Ég meina, ég skil bara ekki hvernig þú getur ennþá elskað hana!

I mean I just don't understand how you can still be in love with her!

Fyrirgefðu, ég skil þig ekki.

Ég skil þetta ekki.

Ég skil ekki hvað þú átt við.

(governs the accusative) I don't understand


Eat at Joe's

For most of the inhabitants of most parts of the world today, the notion of costume begins and often ends with some variant of "Eat at Joe's."

1996, Grolier, Academic American Encyclopedia, →ISBN, page 332:

A lot of crop-duster-type aircraft are used to pull banners around football stadiums: Eat at Joe's.

2003, Jim Saxton, Department of Defenses Role in Combating Terrorism:


nem értem

nem (“do not”) + ért (“understand”) + -em (“I”, personal suffix)


PEMDAS

order of operations
order of operations#English

(mnemonic) An acronym used by mathematics students to remember the order of operations: parentheses, then exponents, then multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction


有心

/joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕin⁵⁵/

/iou⁵¹ ɕiŋ²⁴/

/jɐu̯¹³ sɐm⁵⁵/

/i̯u²⁴⁻¹¹ sim²⁴/

/iu⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ sim³³/

/iu⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ sim⁴⁴/

/iu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ sim⁴⁴/

/u³³⁻¹¹ sim⁴⁴/

/u³³⁻²¹ sim⁴⁴/

/u²²⁻²¹ sim⁴⁴/

/iɤ⁵⁵ ɕin²¹/

/ɦiɤ²² ɕin⁴⁴/

/joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕin⁵⁵/

/iou⁵¹ ɕiŋ²⁴/

/jɐu̯¹³ sɐm⁵⁵/

/i̯u²⁴⁻¹¹ sim²⁴/

/iu⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ sim³³/

/iu⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ sim⁴⁴/

/iu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ sim⁴⁴/

/u³³⁻¹¹ sim⁴⁴/

/u³³⁻²¹ sim⁴⁴/

/u²²⁻²¹ sim⁴⁴/

/iɤ⁵⁵ ɕin²¹/

/ɦiɤ²² ɕin⁴⁴/

(Cantonese) that's kind/thoughtful of you; thank you for your concern


WTB

(Internet slang) Initialism of want/willing/waiting to buy.


WTT

(Internet slang) Initialism of want/willing to trade.

working timetable
working timetable#English

(rail transport, UK) Initialism of working timetable.


WTS

(Internet slang) Initialism of want/willing/waiting to sell.


til hamingju með daginn

From til hamingju (“congratulations”, literally “to happiness”) + með (“with”) + daginn (“the day”), the accusative form with a definite article of dagur (“a day”). Literally meaning "to happiness with the day" or "congratulations relating to the day".

Heyrðu, áttir þú ekki afmæli í gær? Til hamingju með daginn!

Hey, wasn't your birthday yesterday? Congratulations.


toliko

Toliko o tom planu!

Pa... toliko o tome!

Koliko (je) ljudi, toliko (je) čudi.

To each his own! (literally, “There are as many personalities as there are people.”)

used in idioms that express a comparison


quiet as a mouse

(simile, idiomatic) Very quiet, so as to not be heard.


E&OE

Initialism of errors and omissions excepted/excluded.


poor as a church mouse

Alteration of earlier hungry as a church mouse, from the fact that Catholic and Orthodox priests are called to scrupulously prevent any crumb of the sacrament of Eucharist (the bread which is understood to be Christ's body) from falling on the altar or to the ground, meaning that church mice had no crumbs to feed on. This phrase seems to be a corruption of the even earlier expression “as quiet as a church mouse” from the 1300s.

But to return to our public functions; that we have had a decided turn for the church appears from the fact that the church-mouse is a recognised order amongst us, and it is our just pride that we alone have preserved the genuine character of the institution as founded by the Apostles, inasmuch as our poverty has passed into a proverb— "as poor as a church-mouse."

1844, a Mouse (sic), Le Peuple Souriquois: An Historical Sketch, in The New Monthly Magazine and Humorist, vol. 71, pt. 2, page 428

She was an Eastern Virginia woman, and, although poor as a church mouse, thought herself superior to West Virginia people.

1879, John Beatty, The Citizen-Soldier, Cincinnati: Wilstach, Baldwin & Co., page 17:

"As poor as a poet" would be quite as comprehensible as "as poor as a church mouse."

1932 April 9, Isidor Schneider, “Hard Luck Of Poets”, in The New York Times:

Pulford is currently building a raised bed for an allotment, and another school garden is due to open soon. "I'm poor as a church mouse, but I wake up a happy man," he says.

2009 September 23, Mark Gould, quoting Paul Pulford, “Former heroin addict inspires growing optimism from the wild side”, in The Guardian:

(simile) Very poor, to the point of starving or begging; utterly destitute.

chudý jako kostelní myš (literal translation)

fattig som en kirkerotte (literal translation)

geen nagel hebben om zijn gat mee af te krabben}

köyhä kuin kirkonrotta (literal translation)

arm wie eine Kirchenmaus (literal translation)

教会のネズミのように貧しい (kyōkai-no nezumi-no yōni mazushii) (literal translation)

biedny jak mysz kościelna (literal translations)

бе́дный как церко́вная мышь (bédnyj kak cerkóvnaja myšʹ) (literal translation)

fattig som en kyrkråtta (literal translation)


kindof

I'm feeling kindof sick.

It's kindof crowded in here.

Here, kindof means 'more-or-less', or 'rather', or somewhere between a little and a lot.

This is not the same as...

What kindof pizza would you like?

That should be 'What kind of pizza would you like?'

Here, kind means type or style or variety.'


kiireestä kantapäähän

kiireestä (“from the top of the head”) kantapäähän (“to the heel”)


head

your mission, should you choose to accept it

We recently heard about a particularly daring espionage coup. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to listen to our panelists as they describe a tactic that even Matt Helm had never thought of.

2000 January 15, Peter Sagal, “Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!”, in National Public Radio:

(informal, humorous) Your mission or task; what you must do.


there you go

Attagirl! There you go! Keep it up! Now pass the ball back to me again!

'There you go! It worked.' Toby got up, pleased with the result. 'We can hoist it back up now. Take the horses the other side Tad.'

You have done it, or are doing it, correctly.

做得好

you have done it, or are doing it, correctly

Kelly Collins, A Wilde Love Collection
To be honest, I didn't care for that side of the plan, but I needed their manpower to pull all this off, and someone owed me a favor, so there you go. It worked like a charm.

Used to explain or justify something, such as one's course of action.

- Do you want to punish crime more severely?
- I'm not sure. I do want a lower crime rate...
- Well, there you go.

Expressing that the conclusion is the same as it was suggested before; the other party's statement actually implies the same thing as one's own idea.

zie je wel

expressing that the implication of the speaker's statement is actually the same as one's own

There you go, yelling again. Will you shut up?

He told me to bring it back to you when I was done. There you go! Happy Friday!


megi hann lengi lifa

Megi forsetinn lengi lifa!


eipä kestä

Ellipsis of eipä kestä kiittää (literally “it's not worth thanking”)

ellipsis

you're welcome, don't mention it, my pleasure, no problem, not at all


ole hyvä

Probably a calque of Swedish var så god.

Ole hyvä ja auta.


FNU

(travel, aviation) Initialism of first name unknown. (used on birth certificates or airline reservations)

first name unknown

Initialism of Formazin Nephelometric Unit, a turbidity measurement also known as Formazin Turbidity Unit (FTU)


畫影圖形

ㄏㄨㄚˋ ㄧㄥˇ ㄊㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄥˊ

/xu̯ä⁵¹ iŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰu³⁵ ɕiŋ³⁵/

/xu̯ä⁵¹ iŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰu³⁵ ɕiŋ³⁵/

(historical) to put up wanted posters with the likeness of the offender


自取其禍

ㄗˋ ㄑㄩˇ ㄑㄧˊ ㄏㄨㄛˋ

/t͡sz̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ xu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/t͡sz̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ xu̯ɔ⁵¹/


ما شاء الله

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مَا شَاءَ ٱللّٰهُ

مَا شَاءَ ٱللّٰهُ • (mā šāʔa llāhu)

مَا شَاءَ ٱللّٰهُ (canonical)
mā šāʔa llāhu (romanization)

→ Armenian: մաշալլահ (mašallah)

→ Azerbaijani: maşallah

→ Bengali: মাশাআল্লাহ্ (maśaallah)

desc

→ Classical Persian: ماشاءالله (māšā'allah)

Persian: ماشاءالله (mâšâ'allah)

Tajik: мошоллоҳ (mošolloh)

→ English: mashallah

→ Hindustani:

Hindi: माशाअल्लाह (māśāallāh)

Hindi: माशाअल्लाह (māśāallāh), माशाल्लाह (māśāllāh)

Urdu: ماشاءاللہ (māśā'allāh)

Urdu: ماشاءاللہ (māśā'allāh)

→ Kazakh: мәшә Аллаһ (mäşä Allah), машалла (maşalla)

→ Kumyk: машаллагь (maşallah)

Kurdish:

→ Northern Kurdish: maşelah

→ Ladino: mashalla

→ Malay: masya Allah

→ Ottoman Turkish: ماشاءالله

Turkish: maşallah

→ Macedonian: машала (mašala)

→ Romanian: mașala

→ Pashto: ماشاء الله (māša' lláh), ماشأالله (māšalláh)

→ Russian: машаалла́х (mašaalláx), машалла́х (mašalláx)

→ Serbo-Croatian: машаллах (mašallah), машалах (mašalah)

→ Uyghur: ماشائاللا (masha'alla)

→ Uzbek: mosholloh

وَلَوْلَا إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَاءَ ٱللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ إِنْ تَرَنِ أَنَا أَقَلَّ مِنْكَ مَالًا وَوَلَدًا

And why did you, when you entered your garden, not say, 'What Allah willed [has occurred]; there is no power except in Allah '? Although you see me less than you in wealth and children

divine intervention
divine intervention#English

Expressing the speaker's gratitude for a blessing or their recognition of divine intervention in its occurrence. God willed it.

بِسْمِ ٱللّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

بِسْمِ ٱللّٰهِ (bi-smi llāhi, “in the name of God”)

Expressing the speaker's wish for a fortune to be maintained, especially against the evil eye; used in congratulation.


الحمد لله

head

الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ

الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ • (al-ḥamdu li-llāhi)

الْحَمْدُ لِ لّٰهِ (canonical)
al-ḥamdu li-llāhi (romanization)

Ar-الحمد لله.ogg

praise be to God, thank God; alhamdulillah


یکی بود یکی نبود

یکی بود یکی نبود

یکی بود یکی نبود • (yeki bud yeki nabud)

(used at the beginnings of fairytales) once upon a time (literally One was, one wasn't.)


粉骨碎身

desc

→ Vietnamese: thịt nát xương tan, tan xương nát thịt (calque)

ㄈㄣˇ ㄍㄨˇ ㄙㄨㄟˋ ㄕㄣ

фэньгусуйшэнь

/fən²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ su̯eɪ̯⁵¹ ʂən⁵⁵/

/fən²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ su̯eɪ̯⁵¹ ʂən⁵⁵/

to have one's body smashed to pieces; to die the most cruel death


egyik kutya, másik eb

Hungarian has two words for "dog", the current kutya and the older eb. Thus “one of them is a dog, the other is a hound”.

six of one, half a dozen of the other
six of one, half a dozen of the other

(idiomatic) six of one, half a dozen of the other (they are equally bad)


如雨駢集

ㄖㄨˊ ㄩˇ ㄆㄧㄢˊ ㄐㄧˊ

жу юй пяньцзи

/ʐu³⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹ pʰi̯ɛn³⁵ t͡ɕi³⁵/

/ʐu³⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹ pʰi̯ɛn³⁵ t͡ɕi³⁵/

如 (like) + 雨 (rain drops) + 駢集 (to gather side by side)

(archaic) to gather together side by side in large numbers


auf dem falschen Dampfer

(idiomatic, used like a predicative adjective) on the wrong track


疏財仗義

ㄕㄨ ㄘㄞˊ ㄓㄤˋ ㄧˋ

шуцай чжанъи

/ʂu⁵⁵ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵¹/

/ʂu⁵⁵ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵¹/

willing to disperse money in order to uphold justice


欺天罔地

ㄑㄧ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄨㄤˇ ㄉㄧˋ

ци тянь ван ди

/t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ti⁵¹/

/t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ti⁵¹/

(literary) to deceive the gods of heaven and earth


the plot thickens

From the satirical play The Rehearsal. First attested in 1671.

BAYES. Lo' you now, there he's off again.
JOHNS. Admirably done i'faith.
BAYES. Ay, now the Plot thickens very much upon us.

1672 George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, The Rehearsal, Act III Scene ii

Y. Book. Well said, Lad—and as Mr. Bays says, now the Plot thickens upon us, we'll spend our time as gaily as the best of 'em—and all of it in Love …

1703–4 Richard Steele The Lying Lover: Or, the Ladies Friendship Act II Scene i

"His statement is wholly false," was our hero’s reply. "It was his miserable villainy that deprived me of my liberty, and kept me away from my work."
Mr. Goldwin looked puzzled.
"The plot thickens," said he. "Give me your story."

1888, Frank Munsey, chapter XX, in The Boy Broker; Among the Kings of Wall Street, page 143:

1973 April 1, “Watergate: The Plot Thickens”, in The Sun-Herald, Sydney, Australia, page 75

(idiomatic, often humorous) Used to describe an increasingly complex or mysterious situation.

تتشربك الْمُؤَامَرَة

used to describe an increasingly complex or mysterious situation


滅國弒君

ㄇㄧㄝˋ ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄕˋ ㄐㄩㄣ

/mi̯ɛ⁵¹ ku̯ɔ³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵/

/miːt̚² kʷɔːk̚³ siː³³ kʷɐn⁵⁵/

/mi̯ɛ⁵¹ ku̯ɔ³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵/

/miːt̚² kʷɔːk̚³ siː³³ kʷɐn⁵⁵/

(archaic) to destroy the nation and kill the ruler (emperor)


សួស្ដីឆ្នាំថ្មី

km-phrase

សួស្ដីឆ្នាំថ្មី

សួស្ដីឆ្នាំថ្មី • (suəhsdəy chnam thməy)

សួស្ដី (suəsdəy, greeting) + ឆ្នាំ (chnam, “year”) + ថ្មី (thməy, “new”)


don't quit your day job

don't give up your day job
don't give up your day job#English


is it just me

I was wondering, is it just me, or do you sometimes find it really hard to be a mom?

2013, Faith Bogdan, Who Are All These Children and Why Are They Calling Me Mom?:

(colloquial, rhetorical question) Am I the only one who thinks this?


安營下寨

ㄢ ㄧㄥˊ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄓㄞˋ

/ˀän⁵⁵ iŋ³⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂaɪ̯⁵¹/

/ɔːn⁵⁵ jɪŋ²¹ haː²² t͡saːi̯²²/

/ˀän⁵⁵ iŋ³⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂaɪ̯⁵¹/

/ɔːn⁵⁵ jɪŋ²¹ haː²² t͡saːi̯²²/


ថ្លៃទេ

how much does it cost
how much does it cost


齊心戮力

ㄑㄧˊ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄌㄨˋ ㄌㄧˋ

/t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ lu⁵¹⁻⁵³ li⁵¹/

/t͡sʰɐi̯²¹ sɐm⁵⁵ lʊk̚² lɪk̚²/

/t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ lu⁵¹⁻⁵³ li⁵¹/

/t͡sʰɐi̯²¹ sɐm⁵⁵ lʊk̚² lɪk̚²/

everyone will do their utmost to accomplish something


សុខសប្បាយជាទេ

head

សុខសប្បាយជាទេ?

សុខសប្បាយ (sok sapbaay, “healthy and happy”) + ជា (ciə, “to be”) + ទេ (tei, interrogative particle)


s.n.

Borrowed from Latin s.n., an initialism of sine nōmine (“without a name”).

(bibliography) Indicating that the title of a cited work is unknown.


歲寒三友

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (歲寒三友):
* → Japanese: 歳寒(さいかん)三友(さんゆう) (saikan san'yū)

ㄙㄨㄟˋ ㄏㄢˊ ㄙㄢ ㄧㄡˇ

суйханьсанью

/su̯eɪ̯⁵¹ xän³⁵ sän⁵⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sɵy̯³³ hɔːn²¹ saːm⁵⁵ jɐu̯¹³/

/su̯eɪ̯⁵¹ xän³⁵ sän⁵⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sɵy̯³³ hɔːn²¹ saːm⁵⁵ jɐu̯¹³/

Pine, bamboo and plum blossoms do not wither in winter; therefore, they are known as the "three friends of winter".

three friends of winter (pine, bamboo and plum blossom)


throw one's hat over the windmill

throw one's cap over the windmill#English

Alternative form of throw one's cap over the windmill


涕泗橫流

ㄊㄧˋ ㄙˋ ㄏㄥˊ ㄌㄧㄡˊ

/tʰi⁵¹⁻⁵³ sz̩⁵¹ xɤŋ³⁵ li̯oʊ̯³⁵/

/tʰi⁵¹⁻⁵³ sz̩⁵¹ xɤŋ³⁵ li̯oʊ̯³⁵/

tears and mucus coming out sideways; to weep uncontrollably


Plm

(Internet slang, vulgar) Initialism of pula mea.


plm

de ce plm ești așa de prost?

why the fuck are you so dumb?


sell my clothes, I'm going to heaven

A translation of German verkauft mein Gewand, ich fahr in Himmel.


高枕無憂

ㄍㄠ ㄓㄣˇ ㄨˊ ㄧㄡ

/kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂən²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ joʊ̯⁵⁵/

/kou̯⁵⁵ t͡sɐm³⁵ mou̯²¹ jɐu̯⁵⁵/

/kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂən²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ joʊ̯⁵⁵/

/kou̯⁵⁵ t͡sɐm³⁵ mou̯²¹ jɐu̯⁵⁵/

Zhuo was overjoyed, and said, "I have Fengxian, so I can rest easy!

c. 1330 - 1400: Luo Guanzhong, Romance of the Three Kingdoms/Chapter 5

Zhuó dàxǐ yuē: “Wú yǒu Fèngxiān, gāozhěnwúyōu yǐ!”

卓大喜曰：「吾有奉先，高枕無憂矣！」

卓大喜曰：「吾有奉先，高枕无忧矣！」

Sky, Snow and Broken Sword. For ten years these three assassins from Zhao have repeatedly plotted to kill his majesty, so he has not known a single peaceful night's sleep. Today we discover that a hero from our great kingdom of Qin has single-handedly wiped out the enemy. From now on his majesty can once more sleep without fear!

2002: Zhang Yimou (director), Hero (a movie starring Jet Li) (from Quentin Tarantino DVD release)

Chángkōng, Fēixuě, Cánjiàn zhè sān míng Zhào guó cìkè shí nián lái móu cì wǒ wáng. Lìng wǒ wáng yīrì bùdé ānshuì. Zěn liào jīnrì què bèi wǒ Dàqín zhuàngshì yījǔ jīpò? Cóngcǐ wǒ wáng kěyǐ gāozhěnwúyōu le!

長空、飛雪、殘劍這三名趙國刺客十年來謀刺我王。令我王一日不得安睡。怎料今日卻被我大秦壯士一舉擊破？從此我王可以高枕無憂了！

长空、飞雪、残剑这三名赵国刺客十年来谋刺我王。令我王一日不得安睡。怎料今日却被我大秦壮士一举击破？从此我王可以高枕无忧了！


ISTM

(Internet slang) Initialism of It seems to me.


buda

Misspelling of bu da (“and this; this one too”).


an angel passes

There was a momentary silence. Mrs. Oliver said: "Is it twenty-to or twenty past? An angel passing . . . My feet aren't crossed—it must be a black angel!"

1936, Agatha Christie, Cards on the Table, →ISBN, page 17:

As Case was picking up his beer, one of those strange instants of silence descended, as though a hundred unrelated conversations had simultaneously arrived at the same pause. […] Ratz grunted. “An angel passed.”

1984, William Gibson, Neuromancer (Sprawl; book 1), New York, N.Y.: Ace Books, →ISBN, page 4:

Ἑρμῆς ἐπεισελήλυθε (Hermês epeiselḗluthe, literally “Hermes has entered”)

дура́к роди́лся (durák rodílsja, literally “a fool has been born”)

мент роди́лся (ment rodílsja, literally “a cop has been born”)


TF

Why TF do you think that??

“Who TF Did I Marry?!?,” the TikTok user Reesa Teesa’s account of her relationship with her ex-husband, is a story for grown-ups.

2024 March 1, Amanda Hess, “‘Who TF Did I Marry?!?’ Rings in TikTok’s Midlife Crisis Era”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

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


PF

Abbreviation of pour féliciter (“happy New Year”).


PF

pour féliciter (New Year's congratulation, in Czech and Slovak only)


ຈັກໂມງ

[t͡ɕak̚˧˥.moːŋ˧˥]

[t͡ɕak̚˩˨.moːŋ˩˨]


tusen takk

many thanks (thank you (in a very polite way)). Literally a thousand (“tusen”) thanks (“takk”).


虎體狼腰

ㄏㄨˇ ㄊㄧˇ ㄌㄤˊ ㄧㄠ

ху ти лан яо

/xu²¹⁴⁻³⁵ tʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ lɑŋ³⁵ jɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/xu²¹⁴⁻³⁵ tʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ lɑŋ³⁵ jɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

describes someone with an imposing or majestic bearing


the shoe is on the other foot

Some of the birds on this ship took me for a sucker and tried to make a rummy out of me but I was wise to their game and I guess the shoe is on the other foot this time.

1919, Ring Lardner, chapter 1, in The Real Dope:

(idiomatic) The roles of people in a situation have been reversed, such that the advantage has shifted to a party which was previously disadvantaged.

situacija izmenilasʹ na protivopoložennuju

ситуация изменилась на противоположенную


memento mori

(idiomatic) Do not forget that you are only human.


豹頭猿臂

The head of a leopard and the arms of an ape

ㄅㄠˋ ㄊㄡˊ ㄩㄢˊ ㄅㄧˋ

баотоуюаньби

/pɑʊ̯⁵¹ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ ɥɛn³⁵ pi⁵¹/

/pʰaːu̯³³ tʰɐu̯²¹ jyːn²¹ pei̯³³/

/pɑʊ̯⁵¹ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ ɥɛn³⁵ pi⁵¹/

/pʰaːu̯³³ tʰɐu̯²¹ jyːn²¹ pei̯³³/

Zhuo took a look at the man, who stood at a height of nine chi, had a tiger-like torso, a wolf-like waist, a panther-like head, and ape-like arms

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14ᵗʰ century CE

Zhuó shì zhī, qí rén shēncháng jiǔ chǐ, hǔtǐlángyāo, bàotóuyuánbì

卓視之，其人身長九尺，虎體狼腰，豹頭猿臂

卓视之，其人身长九尺，虎体狼腰，豹头猿臂

(figurative) person with an imposing and majestic bearing


手起刀落

ㄕㄡˇ ㄑㄧˇ ㄉㄠ ㄌㄨㄛˋ

/ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡ɕʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ tɑʊ̯⁵⁵ lu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/sɐu̯³⁵ hei̯³⁵ tou̯⁵⁵ lɔːk̚²/

/ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡ɕʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ tɑʊ̯⁵⁵ lu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/sɐu̯³⁵ hei̯³⁵ tou̯⁵⁵ lɔːk̚²/

(archaic) to cut down with one swift stroke of one's sword


quân tử bất khí

[kwən˧˧ tɨ˧˩ ʔɓət̚˧˦ xi˧˦]

[kwəŋ˧˧ tɨ˧˨ ʔɓək̚˦˧˥ kʰɪj˨˩˦]

[kwəŋ˧˧ tɨ˧˨ ʔɓək̚˦˧˥ xɪj˨˩˦]

[wəŋ˧˧ tɨ˨˩˦ ʔɓək̚˦˥ kʰɪj˦˥]

[wəŋ˧˧ tɨ˨˩˦ ʔɓək̚˦˥ xɪj˦˥]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 君子不器. From a saying of Confucius in the Analects.


quá tắc vật đạn cải

[kwaː˧˦ tak̚˧˦ vət̚˧˨ʔ ʔɗaːn˧˨ʔ kaːj˧˩]

[kwaː˨˩˦ tak̚˦˧˥ vək̚˨˩ʔ ʔɗaːŋ˨˩ʔ kaːj˧˨]

[waː˦˥ tak̚˦˥ vək̚˨˩˨ ʔɗaːŋ˨˩˨ kaːj˨˩˦]

[waː˦˥ tak̚˦˥ jək̚˨˩˨ ʔɗaːŋ˨˩˨ kaːj˨˩˦]

From Middle Chinese 過則勿憚改, whence also the Japanese 過ちては則ち改むるに憚ること勿れ.

When making a mistake, do not be afraid to correct it.


ôn cố tri tân

[ʔon˧˧ ko˧˦ t͡ɕi˧˧ tən˧˧]

[ʔoŋ˧˧ kow˨˩˦ ʈɪj˧˧ təŋ˧˧]

[ʔoŋ˧˧ kow˦˥ ʈɪj˧˧ təŋ˧˧]

One should be able to derive new understanding while revising what one has learned.


ôn, lương, cung, kiệm, nhượng

[ʔon˧˧ lɨəŋ˧˧ kʊwŋ͡m˧˧ kiəm˧˨ʔ ɲɨəŋ˧˨ʔ]

[ʔoŋ˧˧ lɨəŋ˧˧ kʊwŋ͡m˧˧ kiəm˨˩ʔ ɲɨəŋ˨˩ʔ]

[ʔoŋ˧˧ lɨəŋ˧˧ kʊwŋ͡m˧˧ kim˨˩˨ ɲɨəŋ˨˩˨]

Our master is benign, upright, courteous, temperate, and complaisant and thus he gets his information.

The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Phu tử ôn, lương, cung, kiệm, nhượng dĩ đắc chi.

夫子溫、良、恭、儉、讓以得之。

Be cordial, kind, courteous, modest, and deferential.


thiên thặng chi quốc

[tʰiən˧˧ tʰaŋ˧˨ʔ t͡ɕi˧˧ kuək̚˧˦]

[tʰiəŋ˧˧ tʰaŋ˨˩ʔ t͡ɕɪj˧˧ kuək̚˦˧˥]

[tʰiəŋ˧˧ tʰaŋ˨˩˨ cɪj˧˧ wək̚˦˥]

To lead a state capable of sending a thousand chariots to war.


đức bất cô, tất hữu lân

[ʔɗɨk̚˧˦ ʔɓət̚˧˦ ko˧˧ tət̚˧˦ hiw˦ˀ˥ lən˧˧]

[ʔɗɨk̚˦˧˥ ʔɓək̚˦˧˥ kow˧˧ tək̚˦˧˥ hɨw˧˨ ləŋ˧˧]

[ʔɗɨk̚˦˥ ʔɓək̚˦˥ kow˧˧ tək̚˦˥ hɨw˨˩˦ ləŋ˧˧]

Virtue never has solitude and always has companionship.


堂堂の陣

堂堂の陣 (canonical)
dōdō no jin (romanization)

Calque of Literary Chinese 堂堂之陣 (tángtáng zhī zhèn) from The Art of War.

calque

A disciplined, orderly army with high morale.


軽裘肥馬

ja-pos

軽裘肥馬(けいきゅうひば) • (keikyūhiba)

軽裘肥馬 (canonical)
keikyūhiba (romanization)

To be clothed in furs and ride in a carriage drawn by well fed horses. That is, the outfit in which rich people dress when they go out.


千乗の国

千乗の国 (canonical)
senjō no kuni (romanization)

[sẽ̞ɲ̟d͡ʑo̞ː no̞ kɯ̟ɲ̟i]

Noun phrase, composed of 千乗 (senjō, “one thousand chariots”) + の (no, possessive marker) + 国 (kuni, “country, state”).
Ultimately borrowed from Literary Chinese 千乘之國.

子曰く、千乗の国を道びくに、事を敬して信、用を節して人を愛し、民を使うに時を以てす。

Shi iwaku, senjō no kuni o michibiku ni, koto o keishite shin, yō o sesshite hito o aishi, tami o tsukau ni toki o motte su.

(ancient China) a state with a thousand chariots; (by extension) a medium-sized state


学びて思わざれば則ち罔し

まなびて おもわざれば すなわち くらし

学(まな)びて思(おも)わざれば則(すなわ)ち罔(くら)し • (manabite omowazareba sunawachi kurashi)

学びて思わざれば則ち罔し (canonical)
manabite omowazareba sunawachi kurashi (romanization)

If one learns without thinking, one will be lost in his learning. That is, if one does not think about what one learns, he will not arrive at the truth of it.


切磋琢磨

ㄑㄧㄝ ㄘㄨㄛ ㄓㄨㄛˊ ㄇㄛˊ

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛ⁵⁵ t͡sʰu̯ɔ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɔ³⁵ mu̯ɔ³⁵/

/t͡sʰiːt̚³ t͡sʰɔː⁵⁵ tœːk̚³ mɔː²¹/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛ⁵⁵ t͡sʰu̯ɔ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɔ³⁵ mu̯ɔ³⁵/

/t͡sʰiːt̚³ t͡sʰɔː⁵⁵ tœːk̚³ mɔː²¹/

From the Classic of Poetry, poem 55 (《詩經·衞風·淇奧》)

lang

(《詩經·衞風·淇奧》)

(《詩經·衞風·淇奧》)

Look at those recesses in the banks of the Qi [river], with their green bamboos, so fresh and luxuriant!
There is our elegant and accomplished prince, as from the knife and the file, as from the chisel and the polisher!

The Classic of Poetry, c. 11ᵗʰ – 7ᵗʰ centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Zhān bǐ Qí yù, lǜ zhú yīyī.
Yǒu fěi jūnzǐ, rú qiē rú cuō, rú zhuó rú mó.

瞻彼淇奧，綠竹猗猗。
有匪君子，如切如磋，如琢如磨。

瞻彼淇奥，绿竹猗猗。
有匪君子，如切如磋，如琢如磨。

(original meaning) to carve and polish (bones, horns, ivory and jade)

(figurative) to learn by exchanging ideas and experiences; friendly competition; improvement by learning from others


朽木糞牆

ㄒㄧㄡˇ ㄇㄨˋ ㄈㄣˋ ㄑㄧㄤˊ

/ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mu⁵¹⁻⁵³ fən⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵/

/nɐu̯³⁵ mʊk̚² fɐn³³ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹/

/nɐu̯¹³ mʊk̚² fɐn³³ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹/

/ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mu⁵¹⁻⁵³ fən⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵/

/nɐu̯³⁵ mʊk̚² fɐn³³ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹/

/nɐu̯¹³ mʊk̚² fɐn³³ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹/

Zai Yu being asleep during the daytime, the Master said, "Rotten wood cannot be carved; a wall of dirty earth will not receive the trowel. This Yu! — what is the use of my reproving him?"

Zǎi Yǔ zhòuqǐn. Zǐyuē: “Xiǔmù bùkě diāo yě, fèntǔ zhī qiáng, bùkě wū yě, yú Yǔ yǔ hé zhū.”

宰予晝寢。子曰：「朽木不可雕也，糞土之牆，不可杇也，於予與何誅。」

宰予昼寝。子曰：「朽木不可雕也，粪土之墙，不可杇也，于予与何诛。」

a person whose spirit is rotten cannot benefit from education


朽木糞牆

ja-pos

朽(きゅう)木(ぼく)糞(ふん)牆(しょう) • (kyūbokufunshō)

朽木糞牆 (canonical)
kyūbokufunshō (romanization)

From Literary Chinese 朽木糞牆／朽木粪墙 (xiǔmùfènqiáng).

zh-l

朽木糞牆／朽木粪墙 (xiǔmùfènqiáng)

A piece of rotten wood cannot be turned into something beautiful. That is, a person whose spirit is rotten cannot benefit from education.


YW

The first step, though, is selecting the best prompts and then crafting up some clever answers that can make your matches fall in love with you (or, you know, ask you out). The good news? We’ve taken care of all that below, so you can spend less time stressing about your profile and more time meeting the love of your life! YW!

2024 April 8, Lydia Wang, Morgan Sullivan, Rachel Varina, “24 Best Hinge Prompts to Actually Help Your Matches Get to Know You”, in Cosmopolitan:

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of you're welcome.


finar greiðir

Perhaps Norwegian nautical fine grejer (‘fine equipment’).


NOAD

(medicine) Initialism of no other abnormality detected.


FSF

Near-synonym: F4F

(in personal ads or Internet slang) Initialism of female seeking female and femme seeking femme.


YHJBT

(Internet) Synonym of YHBT: you have just been trolled.


Christmas is coming

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Christmas is coming.wav

(set phrase, figuratively) Used as a reminder or warning regarding an impending deadline.


sepa

Borrowed from French sais pas (“dunno”), a contracted form of je ne sais pas (“I don't know”).


misdrijf

Unadapted borrowing from Dutch misdrijf.


never eat Shredded Wheat

From the initials of north, east, south and west.

Which sentence might help you remember that the points of the compass, listed clockwise, are north, east, south, and west? […] Never eat shredded wheat.

1990, McDougal, Littell English: Test Booklet, McDougal, Littell, →ISBN, page 92:

The directions are easy . . . North, east, south, west. ‘Never eat shredded wheat.’ That’s how I remember them. Just start at the top of the map and think ‘Never eat shredded wheat.’ The first letter in each word begins with the same letters as the directions.

2006, Peter D. Eckel, Toward Higher Ground: Reclaiming Public Confidence in a Competitive Environment, American Council on Education, page 291:

So we tried to work on that, how to remember that, and you know with your right hand and your left hand and never eat shredded wheat and all those little memory tricks.

2006, Mark Dennis Vagle, When Students Do Not Understand: Recognition and Response in the Action Present of Teaching, University of Minnesota, page 127:

If Lachemi was hiding somewhere it’d be in Ryerson’s equivalent of a sneaky labyrinth: Kerr Hall. You look around with a strong sense of direction. Maybe he’s perched on the shiny basketball court in the Kerr Hall gym. Or doing lab experiments in Kerr Hall south. O-or m-maybe he’s in a classroom in the basement of Kerr Hall E-e-east? West? Every hall starts to look the same. You desperately mutter, “Never eat shredded wheat,” whipping your head around. You check the compass on your phone and it’s going haywire.

2020 April 1, Andrea Josic, Nathaniel Crouch, Zachary Roman, “Help deliver a secret message to Rye’s president”, in The Eyeopener, volume 53, number 21, page 7:

Despite the compass part of the body art having been beautifully drawn, the large inking had quite a big mistake. / Never eat shredded wheat, right? One of the easy ways to remember the four directions… / Well it seems like someone may have missed that class in school as the tattoo artist mixed up the letters.

2022 June 14, Layla Nicholson, “People left in fits of giggles at 'idiotic' mistake on tattoo of compass”, in Daily Star, archived from the original on 2022-06-14:

I have no sense of direction… I mean literally none! If someone tells me it’s north I still have to do “never eat shredded wheat” in my head to work out where to point, and even then I’m still generally going the wrong way.

2023 May 24, Natalie Lewis, quotee, “My London: Natalie Lewis – PR Expert & Author”, in LDNFASHION, archived from the original on 2023-05-24:

(mnemonic) Used to learn the cardinal points.


bir şey anladıysam Arap olayım

Bir şey anladıysam Arap olayım (canonical)

Literally, “Let me be a Arab if I understood anything.”

lit

it’s all Greek to me
it's all Greek to me

(informal) I do not understand what was just said; it’s all Greek to me


kan du snakke engelsk?

do you speak English? can you speak English?


cara o cruz

Tagalog : kara-krus


dra til helvete

Similar to Swedish dra åt helvete, Danish gå ad helvede til and English.


ek hou van jou

LL-Q14196 (afr)-Oesjaar-ek hou van jou.wav


með lögum skal land byggja

Literally, "with laws shall land be built", "with laws, land shall be built" or "land shall be built by laws".
The phrase is the opening words of the preamble to Jyske Lov (Law of Jutland) issued 1241 by King Valdemar II in Vordingborg.
Compare Old Danish mæth logh skal land byggiæs, Danish med lov skal land bygges, Faroese við lóg skal land byggjast, Norwegian med Lov skal Landet byggjast, Swedish land skall med lag byggas, med lag skall land byggas.

"a country shall be built by laws", "the land will be built by laws", "with laws shall we build the land", the motto of Shetland Islands Council, Víkingasveitin and the Icelandic Police

Note, ólög can also represent bad laws, or laws that are not in harmony

land shall be built by laws, but desolated without them; with laws shall land be built, but desolated without laws; our land shall be built on laws and not desolated with lawlessness

In Njáls saga the proverb með lögum skal land byggja en með ólögum eyða appears. In the Frostathing Law the passage at lögum skal land várt byggja en eigi at ulögum øyða () appears.


quoi de neuf

(informal greeting) what's new, what's up, how's it going


qu'est-ce que c'est

From qu’est-ce que (“what (is it that)”) + c’est (“it is, this is”).

af

what is that? what is this? what is it? what does that mean?