“有余” means surplus and “不足” means insufficient. Therefore, the surplus in will and the insufficiency in strength form a contrast to indicate having the will to do something but lacks the power to do it. This expression can be used to illustrate actual circumstances or it could be used as an euphemistic excuse.

0 comments - 479 views - Mon, feb 08 17:33 2010

“三七二十一” is a multiplication rhyme and in this expression, it is used to indicate various conditions and results; therefore, “不管三七二十一” means to do something regardless of anything and regardless of the consequences. This expression is often followed by the specific thing that's being done.

0 comments - 449 views - Fri, feb 05 15:54 2010

The folk adage describes that great minds think alike. In everyday conversation, this expression is often used to praise those who share the opinion of the speaker. When two people agree on something without prior consultation, this expression is often used as a comical way to describe the situation.

0 comments - 414 views - Wed, feb 03 18:16 2010

“铁公鸡” is a metaphor describing someone who is extremely stingy; like an iron cock that’s unable to shed its feather, someone who’s described as an iron cock is unwilling to “shed” even a dime. When referring someone as an iron cock, the measure word is often “个 。”

0 comments - 351 views - Mon, feb 01 17:15 2010

“吃不了, 兜着走” is a dialect that indicates bearing the consequences of one’s action; in this case, the consequences are usually unbearable and can be quite perplex. “吃不了, 兜着走” is commonly used to intimidate others and always in the form of “让/叫 + person +吃不了兜着走.”

0 comments - 433 views - Fri, jan 29 18:05 2010

“萝卜白菜，各有所爱” literally means when it comes to turnips and cabbages, some people prefer turnips while others like cabbages. This expression is used to illustrate that different people have different preferences towards different things or people, including what you perceive as strange or not good; and when someone’s preferences are being questioned, this expression is commonly used to make a conclusive or argumentative statement.

0 comments - 486 views - Wed, jan 27 17:00 2010

The act of opening one eye and closing the other is a metaphor for pretending not to see. This metaphor often indicates the act of conniving certain norms and principals. Another way to express this metaphor is “睁只眼闭只眼” and the preposition “对” is often used with the metaphor.

0 comments - 375 views - Mon, jan 25 17:32 2010

“老几” can be used to ask the seniority of someone among brothers and sisters. However, colloquially, “老几” is often used for another purpose: to indicate someone's non-importance within a certain context. Sentences containing “老几” are rhetorical questions often accompanied by “sb. + 算老几,” “sb. + 是老几,” or simply “sb. + 老几.” Sometimes it is used to express contempt for others while other times, it is used to self-deprecate.

0 comments - 435 views - Fri, jan 22 16:36 2010

“白日做梦” simply means to daydream. Besides “白日做梦,” another popular way to say daydream is “做白日梦.” Moreover, “白日梦” can be used to indicate fantasies that cannot be fulfilled.

0 comments - 306 views - Thu, jan 21 15:25 2010

“求爷爷告奶奶” is a very colloquial expression. “爷爷” represents the authoritative figure in men and “奶奶” represents the authoritative figure in women; when used together, “求爷爷告奶奶” indicates seeking help from everyone.

0 comments - 346 views - Tue, jan 19 17:08 2010

“空头支票” literally means a bad check. When used as a figure of speech, “空头支票” indicates the inability or unwillingness of someone to fulfill a promise. This expression is often used with the verb “开” as in “开空头支票.”

0 comments - 467 views - Fri, jan 15 17:17 2010

"空城计" is a tactic told in the Chinese masterpiece The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. However, it is important to know that colloquially, the usage of “空城计” today often indicates a place that should be packed with people but is not, rather than its original stratagem allusion; while the phrase “肚子唱空城计” means the stomach is growling from hunger.

0 comments - 482 views - Wed, jan 13 16:58 2010

“吹胡子瞪眼” is a figurative way to describe the look of someone who is extremely angry: Eyes open wide with beard blown upwards. Take note that this expression is rarely used to describe females; moreover, from the speaker's point of view, the person who is “吹胡子瞪眼” is in a tantrum or behaving excessively intense or making a show of authority.

0 comments - 449 views - Mon, jan 11 16:21 2010

“定心丸” is the name of a proprietary Chinese medicine that can make a person calm and stable. Some words or actions can also make people calm down with the same effect as the medicine. As a result, people use “定心丸” as a metaphor for such words or actions. “定心丸” is most commonly used together with the word “吃” or eat.

0 comments - 351 views - Fri, jan 08 18:01 2010

“站着说话不腰疼” is a colloquial phrase with different versions of how it came to be, however, most are in line with this: From the view point of the listener, the person “standing” and talking is more comfortable. A person in a relatively comfortable state when talking to someone else in a relatively uncomfortable state, because the person cannot feel the other person's discomfort, will speak casually and recklessly. This colloquial phrase is used to describe those who express their opinion freely without considering someone else's point of view.

0 comments - 335 views - Thu, jan 07 16:57 2010

Literally, “撕破脸” means to tear apart someone's face; other than the literal meaning, “脸” also indicates reputation. When people are in a good relationship, they will give face (or have consideration) for other people; however, if the “face” is torn, it's an indication that the relationship is fractured. The subjects of this expression mostly describe the two sides of a broken relationship.

0 comments - 360 views - Tue, jan 05 18:09 2010

Originally, “打游击” is a type of warfare in which a small group of combatants use mobile military tactics in the form of ambushes and raids to combat a larger and less mobile formal army. Therefore, guerrilla warfare is often mobile and without a fixed location. This phrase was later used to characterize someone who works, eats, sleeps, etc. at no fixed place. Most of the time, this phrase is used in a more jovial manner.

0 comments - 318 views - Wed, dec 30 16:30 2009

“横挑鼻子竖挑眼” means to look for flaws or to nitpick. The words “横” and “竖” represent different ways and the words “鼻子” and “眼” are used to substitute the different elements on something or somebody that are being nitpicked. The entire structure means to use various methods to nitpick at every detail.

0 comments - 423 views - Mon, dec 28 16:42 2009

“饽饽” is a term found in some Northern dialects, sometimes to refer to pastries or other similar snacks, sometimes to steamed buns or other lump-shaped wheaten foods made of flour. A “香饽饽” is something thought to be mouthwatering and tempting – something that everyone likes and wants. For this reason, the expression “香饽饽” is used to describe someone or something that is popular or in high demand.

0 comments - 339 views - Fri, dec 25 18:03 2009

When people hear thunder they generally assume it will rain. However, sometimes even though there’s loud thunder, it rains very little or not at all. This expression is used to say that someone talks a lot about doing something or plans something out very well, but takes little real action. Sometimes this expression can also be used to describe that someone is fake-crying - crying loudly with little or no tears.

1 comments - 345 views - Wed, dec 23 17:59 2009