mutiny / (Tw) to be dumped by one's girlfriend while serving in the army
丢开
diū kāi
to cast or put aside / to forget for a while
吹箫
chuī xiāo
to play the xiao 簫|箫[xiao1] (mouth organ) / to beg while playing pipes / cf politician Wu Zixu 伍子胥[Wu3 Zi3 xu1], c. 520 BC destitute refugee in Wu town, 吳市吹簫|吴市吹箫[Wu2 shi4 chui1 xiao1] / to busk / virtuoso piper wins a beauty, cf 玉人吹簫|玉人吹箫[yu4 ren2 chui1 xiao1] / (slang) fellatio / blowjob
趁热打铁
chèn rè dǎ tiě
to strike while the iron is hot
声泪俱下
shēng lèi jù xià
to shed tears while recounting sth / speaking in a tearful voice
will / shall / to use / to take / to checkmate / just a short while ago / (introduces object of main verb, used in the same way as 把[ba3])
顺手牵羊
shùn shǒu qiān yáng
lit. to lead away a goat while passing by (idiom) / fig. to opportunistically pocket sb's possessions and walk off
双簧
shuāng huáng
a form of theatrical double act in which one performer speaks or sings while the other, in front, pretends to be doing the speaking or singing / double reed (as in an oboe or bassoon)
to work hard while accomplishing little / to toil to no avail
色厉内荏
sè lì nèi rěn
lit. show strength while weak inside (idiom) / appearing fierce while cowardly at heart / a sheep in wolf's clothing
叶公好龙
Yè Gōng hào lóng
lit. Lord Ye's passion for dragons (idiom) / fig. to pretend to be fond of sth while actually fearing it / ostensible fondness of sth one really fears
不到黄河心不死
bù dào Huáng Hé xīn bù sǐ
lit. not to stop until one reaches the Yellow River (idiom) / fig. to persevere until one reaches one's goal / to keep going while some hope is left
老虎凳
lǎo hǔ dèng
tiger bench (torture method in which the victim sits with legs extended horizontally along a bench, upper legs held down with straps while bricks are inserted under the feet, forcing the knee joint to bend in reverse)
hell on earth (idiom) / suffering the torments of Buddhist hell while still alive / fig. having an uncomfortable time
添油加醋
tiān yóu jiā cù
lit. to add oil and vinegar / fig. adding details while telling a story (to make it more interesting)
千刀万剐
qiān dāo wàn guǎ
to make mincemeat of sb / to hack sb to pieces (used while cursing)
暗渡陈仓
àn dù Chén cāng
lit. secretly crossing the Wei River 渭河[Wei4 He2] at Chencang (idiom, refers to a stratagem used by Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] in 206 BC against Xiang Yu 項羽|项羽[Xiang4 Yu3] of Chu) / fig. to feign one thing while doing another / to cheat under cover of a diversion
地久天长
dì jiǔ tiān cháng
enduring while the world lasts (idiom, from Laozi) / eternal / for ever and ever (of friendship, hate etc) / also written 天長地久|天长地久
大处着眼
dà chù zhuó yǎn
View the big picture while handling the details (idiom).
空城计
kōng chéng jì
the empty city stratagem (in which Zhuge Liang presents himself as unperturbed while making it evident that his city is undefended, hoping his adversary will suspect an ambush) / double bluff
to talk intimately while being comparative strangers (idiom)
仰屋著书
yǎng wū zhù shū
lit. to stare at the ceiling while writing a book (idiom) / to put one's whole body and soul into a book
及时行乐
jí shí xíng lè
to enjoy the present (idiom) / to live happily with no thought for the future / make merry while you can / carpe diem
吴市吹箫
Wú shì chuī xiāo
to beg while playing the xiao 簫|箫[xiao1] (mouth organ) / cf Wu Zixu 伍子胥[Wu3 Zi3 xu1], destitute refugee from Chu 楚[Chu3], busked in Wu town c. 520 BC, then became a powerful politician
吹箫乞食
chuī xiāo qǐ shí
to beg while playing the xiao 簫|箫[xiao1] (mouth organ) / cf Wu Zixu 伍子胥[Wu3 Zi3 xu1], destitute refugee from Chu 楚[Chu3], busked in Wu town c. 520 BC, then became a powerful politician
对酒当歌
duì jiǔ dāng gē
lit. sing to accompany wine (idiom) / fig. life is short, make merry while you can
戴盆望天
dài pén wàng tiān
lit. viewing the sky with a basin on one's head / it is hard to get a clear view of the sky while carrying a platter on one's head / fig. it is hard to get on in one's career while encumbered by family obligations / one can't perform a major task while bothered by other duties
画荻教子
huà dí jiào zǐ
to write on the sand with reeds while teaching one's son (idiom) / mother's admirable dedication to her children's education
风行一时
fēng xíng yī shí
to be popular for a while / to be all the rage for a time
打铁趁热
dǎ tiě chèn rè
strike the iron while it's hot (idiom)
今朝有酒今朝醉
jīn zhāo yǒu jiǔ jīn zhāo zuì
to live in the moment (idiom) / to live every day as if it were one's last / to enjoy while one can
骑马找马
qí mǎ zhǎo mǎ
(idiom) (coll.) to continue in an unsatisfactory job (or romantic relationship etc) while actively looking for a better one
夫子自道
Fū zǐ zì dào
appearing to be praising others while actually praising yourself / one's criticism of others exposes one's own faults
螳螂捕蝉
táng láng bǔ chán
the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind (idiom, from Daoist classic Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子[Zhuang1 zi3]) / to pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger
身在曹营心在汉
shēn zài Cáo yíng xīn zài Hàn
live in Cao camp but have the heart in Han camp (idiom) / to be somewhere while longing to be somewhere else
偶一为之
ǒu yī wéi zhī
to do sth once in a while (idiom) / to do sth more as an exception than the rule
博文约礼
bó wén yuē lǐ
vigorously pursuing knowledge, while scrupulously abiding by the rules of decorum (idiom)
照发
zhào fā
approved for distribution / to provide (wages etc) as usual (e.g. while an employee is on maternity leave)
把尿
bǎ niào
to support a child (or invalid etc) while he or she urinates
què