Sayings · LT901

Idioms

Classical four-character idiomatic expressions derived from historical masterworks.

1231works

13dynasties

230authors

Qing

31 works

1636–1912

  1. When the Ridgepole Snaps and the Rafters FallKang YouweiIf the ridgepole snaps and the rafters fall, we graduates will all be crushed beneath; therefore, braving execution by the axe and the crime of overstepping our place, we lay out the whole situation for Your Majesty.
  2. Implicating Others Like Spreading Roots and Creeping VinesZhang Tingyu (comp.)He then issued the Record of the Treacherous Faction to the whole realm. The implications spread like roots and vines, and for several years the matter was not settled.
  3. Withered Wood and Cold Dead AshesSun ZhongshanThe sincere heart I had kept for thirty years nearly melted away because of this, and my will, which had never yielded to a hundred setbacks, nearly turned to withered wood and dead ashes.
  4. Making Camp at Every Step of the AdvanceZhang Tingyu (comp.)The Japanese made camp at every step and rested in turns, and the imperial troops dared not attack.
  5. The Fisherman's Gain from the Snipe and the ClamDorgon (traditionally attributed)You wish to hold the south in strength and sit back to reap the fisherman's gain.
  6. Pulling Chestnuts from the FireJean de La FontaineThe monkey tricked the cat into taking chestnuts out of the fire; the monkey ate them, and the cat burned the fur off its paws.
  7. Jade and Stone Burned Together: Zeng Guofan's WarningZeng GuofanWhen the great army bears down, jade and stone will burn together, and no distinction can be made.
  8. Power of Life and Death: Yang Lian Indicts Wei ZhongxianZhang Tingyu (comp.)Your Majesty is in the prime of life; over life and death, giving and taking, can you not decide for yourself?
  9. Hating Evil as a Personal Foe: Zhou Shunchang of SuzhouZhang Tingyu (comp.)Shunchang was upright, square, steadfast and incorruptible, and hated evil as a personal foe.
  10. Unbowed After a Hundred Setbacks: Sun Yat-sen's PrefaceSun ZhongshanWholehearted and unbowed by a hundred setbacks, I could not be made to yield by the might of the Qing, nor bent by the hardships of a dead end.
  11. Of a Hundred Uses, a Scholar Has None: Huang Jingren's Bitter JestHuang JingrenNine in ten deserve only a scornful glance; of a hundred uses, the scholar has none.
  12. Knowing When to Stop Averts Danger: Qianlong on the Torghut Returnthe Qianlong Emperor (Hongli)One who knows contentment suffers no disgrace; one who knows when to stop meets no danger, and can long endure.
  13. Contentment Keeps Disgrace Away: Laozi's Maxim and the Torghut Stelethe Qianlong Emperor (Hongli)Knowing contentment avoids disgrace; knowing when to stop avoids danger.
  14. Blessings Overflow to the House That Stores Up GoodYongzheng EmperorA family that accumulates goodness will surely have blessings to spare; a family that accumulates evil will surely have calamities to spare.
  15. Attacked Front and Rear: Wang Shouren Strikes at NanchangZhang Tingyu (comp.)If we pass Nanchang to face them on the river, the troops of those two prefectures will cut off our rear, and we shall be attacked front and back.
  16. Fierce Outside, Faint Within: Confucius on the Hollow BullyZhang Tingyu (comp.)Stern in countenance but weak within: compared to petty men, he is like a thief who digs through walls!
  17. No Agreement on What Is Right: the Guangxu Edict of 1898Guangxu EmperorYet the climate of opinion is not yet open, and arguments reach no agreement.
  18. Listening with an Open Mind: the Yongle Emperor and His Grand SecretariesZhang Tingyu (comp.)If those who advise have nothing to fear and those who listen take no offence, why should the realm not be well governed?
  19. Inside and Outside in League for Evil: Wei Guangwei and Wei ZhongxianZhang Tingyu (comp.)The grand secretary Wei Guangwei allied himself with Zhongxian, the two in league for evil inside and outside, and Dazhong always wanted to impeach him.
  20. Hands in Sleeves, Looking On: Gao Panlong and the Red Pill CaseZhang Tingyu (comp.)When their sovereign is in peril, to stand by with hands in their sleeves is the road to great disorder.
  21. At His Wits' End: Shi Xing and the Japanese Invasion of KoreaZhang Tingyu (comp.)The minister of war Shi Xing was at his wits' end and sought men able to talk with the Japanese to spy on them.
  22. Memorising Whatever Passes Before One's EyesZhao Erxun (comp.)The Sage Ancestor saw him and loved him, and had him study in the palace under the scholar Fumin; whatever he read once he could recite.
  23. No Ground to Advance or Retreatthe Qianlong Emperor (Hongli)Having turned their backs on Russia and come, if they were also to harass the border of our great state, they would have no ground to advance or retreat; where could they go?
  24. Page upon Page of Lengthy WritingYongzheng EmperorI have gone over everything in full detail, page upon page; the main purpose is no more than this, and I have already exhausted my efforts on it.
  25. Striking Like a Whirlwind and a Lightning BoltZhang Tingyu (comp.)Dayou, the veteran, put steadiness first; Jiguang struck like a whirlwind and a lightning bolt, repeatedly crushing great bands of raiders, and his fame rose even above Dayou's.
  26. Arrogant, Overbearing and UnrestrainedZhang Tingyu (comp.)Jing has controlled Henan for fourteen years, and has always harboured wild, overbearing ambitions.
  27. The Flying Dragon in the HeavensZhang Tingyu (comp.)It is auspicious. The flying dragon is in the heavens, attended by wind and rain. The tiles have fallen because they will be changed to yellow.
  28. Full-Fed All Day with Nothing on One's MindLiang QichaoThose who eat their fill all day and use their minds on nothing, it is hard indeed for them!
  29. Coming to Pass Unlooked Forthe Qianlong Emperor (Hongli)The return of these Torghuts was truly a matter of Heaven granting and men turning to us; it came about without being sought, and so it must be recorded.
  30. Knowing One Thing but Not the Other: The Stone Beasts in the RiverJi YunSo in the affairs of the world, many know one thing but not the other; how can one judge arbitrarily from general principles?
  31. Doing What One Knows Cannot Be Done: Tan Sitong's Last DaysLiang QichaoEven so, in the affairs of the world one does what one knows cannot be done.