(fig.) gulf / chasm / wide gap / (originally) the Hong Canal in Henan, which in ancient times formed the border between enemies Chu 楚[Chu3] and Han 漢|汉[Han4]
to have a public holiday / to have an official holiday / (Tw) (of a business establishment) to be closed regularly on certain days, as determined by a trade association
military strategy / military tactics / originally refers to military classics Six Secret Teachings 六韜|六韬[Liu4 tao1] and Three Strategies 三略[San1 lu:e4]
(slang) cockroach ("Little Qiang" was originally the name given to a dead cockroach that had supposedly been a pet of the lead character in the 1993 Hong Kong comedy movie "Flirting Scholar". Subsequently, it came to be used as a name for any cockroach, and also for characters in film and television who are seemingly indestructible or repeatedly resurrected.)
lit. don't worry about not knowing goods, but about comparing them (proverb) / fig. goods' (or person's) true value can only be determined through comparison
lit. don't worry about not knowing goods, but about comparing them (proverb) / fig. goods' (or person's) true value can only be determined through comparison
ancient banquet game of throwing arrows into a pot, the winner determined by the number of arrows thrown in, and the loser required to drink as punishment
lit. once you've shot the arrow, there's no getting it back (idiom) / fig. once you started sth, there's no turning back / to have to finish what one started / to be determined to reach one's goals in spite of setbacks
Friendship Store, PRC state-run store originally intended for foreigners, diplomats etc, specializing in selling imported Western goods and quality Chinese crafts
the meaning of a phonetic loan character 假借字[jia3 jie4 zi4] acquired from a similar-sounding word (e.g. 而[er2] originally meant "beard" but acquired the meaning "and")
Liu Houzong (1904-1949), originally Hunan guerilla leader, rewarded by Chiang Kaishek for killing Xiang Ying 項英|项英[Xiang4 Ying1] during the 1941 New Fourth Army incident 皖南事變|皖南事变[Wan3 nan2 Shi4 bian4]
Court of imperial stud, office originally charged with horse breeding / Taibus banner in Xilingol League 錫林郭勒盟|锡林郭勒盟[Xi1 lin2 guo1 le4 Meng2], Inner Mongolia
(slang) Something awesome is about to happen! (originally, in a Japanese space battleship anime, it meant "Danger! High energy up ahead!" — a warning to either prepare for battle or take evasive action)
(idiom) to be unable to return to one's hometown due to the shame of failure (originally referred to Xiang Yu 項羽|项羽[Xiang4 Yu3], who chose not to retreat to Jiangdong after his humiliating defeat)
rice tube pudding, a single-serve column of glutinous rice topped with a sauce and garnished (Taiwanese dish, originally prepared by stuffing rice into bamboo tubes and steaming them)
unrestricted warfare (originally the title of a Chinese book published in 1999, later used to refer to war by any means, military or non-military, including cyberwarfare, economic warfare etc)
(neologism c. 2014) (slang) Are you interested? (originally an invitation for casual sex, later generalized as a playful or humorous invitation for any activity)
(idiom) chivalrous hero, often one who combats injustice or fights for a noble cause (originally referred to a group of outlaws who assembled in 綠林|绿林[Lu4lin2])
(coll.) to chat casually / to shoot the breeze (originally Cantonese)
The four tones
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