{"path":"/entry/46484","title":"捉襟见肘 / 捉襟見肘 (zhuō jīn jiàn zhǒu) — Chinese Dictionary | Flashbao","description":"捉襟见肘 / 捉襟見肘 (zhuō jīn jiàn zhǒu): literally pulling on the lapels exposes the elbows (idiom). Explore meanings, example sentences and vocabulary decks.","catalog":null,"deck":null,"entry":{"reading":{"id":46484,"orthography":{"forms":{"SIMPLIFIED":["捉襟见肘"],"TRADITIONAL":["捉襟見肘"]}},"phonetic":"zhuō jīn jiàn zhǒu","phoneticKey":"zhuo1 jin1 jian4 zhou3","meanings":{"primary":[{"qualifier":null,"synonyms":[{"segments":[{"dim":false,"runs":[{"kind":"TEXT","text":"literally pulling on the lapels exposes the elbows ","orthography":null,"phonetic":null,"phoneticKey":null,"readingId":null}]},{"dim":true,"runs":[{"kind":"TEXT","text":"(idiom)","orthography":null,"phonetic":null,"phoneticKey":null,"readingId":null}]}]}]},{"qualifier":null,"synonyms":[{"segments":[{"dim":false,"runs":[{"kind":"TEXT","text":"strapped for cash","orthography":null,"phonetic":null,"phoneticKey":null,"readingId":null}]}]}]},{"qualifier":null,"synonyms":[{"segments":[{"dim":false,"runs":[{"kind":"TEXT","text":"unable to make ends meet","orthography":null,"phonetic":null,"phoneticKey":null,"readingId":null}]}]}]}],"additional":[],"notes":[],"variantMeanings":[]},"classifiers":[],"pos":["ADJECTIVE","VERB"],"frequency":43154,"grammar":[],"spokenPhonetic":null},"otherReadings":[],"examples":[],"carriedReadings":[],"constructions":[],"status":null,"due":null,"reps":null,"lapses":null,"lastReview":null,"senses":[{"label":null,"relations":[{"kind":"SYNONYM","readingId":117008,"orthography":{"forms":{"SIMPLIFIED":["顾此失彼"],"TRADITIONAL":["顧此失彼"]}},"phonetic":"gù cǐ shī bǐ","gloss":{"simplified":"literally to attend to one thing and lose sight of another (idiom)","traditional":null}}],"primary":true}],"origins":[{"literal":"to clutch one's collar only to expose one's elbows","content":[{"type":"paragraph","text":{"simplified":"The idiom arose from an anecdote variously attributed to Zeng Shen or Yuan Xian.","traditional":null}}],"examples":[{"text":{"simplified":"曾子居卫…正冠而缨绝，捉衿而肘见，纳履而踵决。","traditional":"曾子居衛…正冠而纓絕，捉衿而肘見，納履而踵決。"},"phonetic":"Zēngzǐ jū Wèi... Zhèngguān ér yīngjué, zhuōjīn ér zhǒuxiàn, nàlǚ ér zhǒngjué.","english":"Zeng-zi was residing in Wey.… [I]f he put his cap on straight, the strings would break; if he drew tight the overlap of his robe, his elbow would be seen; in putting on his shoes, the heels would burst them.","ref":"Zhuangzi, circa 3ʳᵈ – 2ⁿᵈ centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version"},{"text":{"simplified":"原宪居鲁…正冠则缨绝，振襟则肘见，纳履则踵决。","traditional":"原憲居魯…正冠則纓絕，振襟則肘見，納履則踵決。"},"phonetic":"Yuán Xiàn jū Lǔ... Zhèngguān zé yīngjué, zhènjīn zé zhǒuxiàn, nàlǚ zé zhǒngjué.","english":"Yuan Xian dwelt in Lu… He straightened his cap and the string broke; he adjusted the lapel of his gown and his elbows came out; he put on his shoes and the heels burst.","ref":"Han Ying (韓嬰), traditionally attributed. c. mid. 2nd century BCE, Han Shi Waizhuan (《韓詩外傳》). Based on the translation by James Robert Hightower."}],"senseScoped":false}],"decks":[{"id":27,"sourceName":"Chengyu","name":"Chengyu"}],"vocabularyScale":null,"vocabularyLevel":null}}