Wrong usage

[rootfool]

Too many wrong usage of idiom exist in our life.Even chinese is liable to make them.

If you usually hear/see them you may think it should be used like this.So I'll list

some of them here.Hope it's helpful.

1.空穴来风

出处：臣闻于师：枳句来巢，空穴来风。－战国·楚·宋玉《风赋》

注释：臣：指宋玉自己；师：指他的老师屈原；枳：一种桔树；句：通勾，弯曲的意思；穴

：孔洞。

翻译：我听老师屈原说：枳树的枝弯曲所以会引来鸟筑巢，洞穴是中空的就会引来风。

I've ever heard of this from my teacher,quyuan:"the bird bulid nest in 枳树 because

of it's winding branch,a wind rose in cave because it's hollow.

Wrong:sth isn't true.example:我怎么会喜欢她呢？你不能乱说啊，这纯属空穴来风嘛！

Right:sth is true;sth have reason.example:如果你不喜欢她，为什么大家都这么说呢？

哼哼，空穴来风，非是无因。

2.明日黄花

出处：相逢不用忙归去，明日黄花蝶也愁－宋·苏轼《九日次韵王巩》

注释：菊花是重阳时节开，过了重阳节后就会慢慢凋谢，因诗写于重阳节聚会时，所以是比

喻快乐的时光需要珍惜。

翻译：we don't need to be bursting to go home,otherwise we'll be sad as the

butterfly is worry about the chrysanthemum tomorrow.(the poem is written on Double

Ninth Festival,and the chrysanthemum will languish after this festival. )

It means dated message/thing.So people usually use 昨日黄花 becuase they think

昨 means old and 明 means new.But in fact it should be 明日黄花.

3.前三甲

出处：在科举制度中，正式的考试有三级，首先全省的秀才参加乡试，考中的为举人；然后

举人参加礼部举行的会试，考中为贡士；最后贡士参加皇帝主持的殿试（不淘汰人），然后把贡

士分为三等，乡试也乙试，殿试则为甲试，所以把这三等叫做一甲、二甲、三甲。乡试的第一名

为解元，会试的第一名为会元，殿试的第一名为状元，“连中三元”也出于此。(sorry,it's

too hard for me to translate.)

It's not equal to 前三名！Actually it means first-class,second-class and third-

class.

4.差强人意

出处：帝时遣人观大司马何为，还言方修战攻之具，乃叹曰：“吴公差强人意，隐若一敌国

矣”－《后汉书·吴汉传》

注释：吴汉是刘秀手下的大将，刘秀派人看之前正逢打完败仗。

翻译：皇帝派人看大司马吴汉在干什么，得到吴汉还在修缮武器、鼓舞士气的消息时说：吴

汉的才能基本上能让人满意，是一个可以与一国相匹敌的人才啊！when the emperor knows

that his general named wuhan is still repairing the weapon and blostering the army's

morale,said,"I'm substantially satisfied about him,he is a person who can fight with

a country!"

Wrong:not satisfied.你这儿什么都好，就是环境有点差强人意。

Right:substantially satisfied.虽然这儿环境不好，但还算是差强人意了。

5.万人空巷

出处：赖有明朝看潮在，万人空巷斗新妆－宋·苏轼《八月十七复登望海楼》

注释：在这里巷不是街道的意思，而是指住宅区。

翻译：到了明天看钱塘江大潮的时候，所有的人都会盛装打扮聚集在那里。everybody will

dress up for watching big tide in qiantang river tomorrow.

Wrong:no people is in lane,they all stay at home.这部电影播出的时候，大家都守在

家里的电视机前面，一时间万人空巷。

Right:no people is at home.(describe that people gather for sth)这部电影播出的时

候，大家都到电影院去观看，一时间万人空巷。

　6.七月流火

出处：七月流火，九月授衣-《诗经·豳风·七月》

注释：火，是“大火”这颗星的名字，也叫星宿二，而不是现代“火”的意思。

翻译：七月大火慢慢地降下去了，天气也会变凉了，到了九月分的时候就该加衣了。The

star which named "大火/星宿" will fall gradually after july(the traditional Chinese

calendar),this means the weather will be cool gradually,and people should dress more

clothes in september.

Wrong:the weather is hot in july.高考的时候天气正热，七月流火真让人受不了。

Right:the weather will be cool.七月流火，大家更应该注意天气，小心着凉。

7.胴体

出处：不知

说明：胴体本是指牲畜被宰杀后除去头尾、四肢、内脏后剩下的躯干，却不知何时开始用到人身上了！this word can only be used with the animal whose head,nail,limbsandinternal organs are remove after being killed.

Wrong:naked body(esp.naked woman's body )她那美丽的胴体……

Right:animal's body.他把猪的胴体背到市场上卖了个好价钱。

　8.罪不容诛

出处：其罪已不容诛矣。-《汉书·游侠传序》

翻译：罪恶大到杀了也抵不了。a man is so evil even his sins can't be counteracted by killing him.

Wrong:should not be kill.他虽然犯下这么大的过错，但罪不容诛。

Right:should be kill.这等祸国殃民之人，实在是罪不容诛。

9.凯旋 kai3 xuan2

凯：胜利的乐曲(triumphal)。旋：归来(return)。

　　指打仗利用后返回。(triumphant return)

　　Character：褒义(commendatory)

　　example:1)将军的凯旋得到了人们热烈的欢迎。2)将军的凯旋归来得到了人们热烈的欢迎。People extend the General a warm welcome by his triumphant return.

　　正确的用法是1)，因为“凯旋”本就含有“归来”的意思了，又何需再加“归来”二字。The correct example is 1).Because “凯旋”has the meaning of return ,so “归来” is superfluous.

10.目睹 mu4 du3

目：眼睛(eyes)。睹：看见(see)。

指亲眼看见。(see with one's eyes)

Character：中性(neutral).

example:1)这件事是我目睹的。2)这件事是我亲眼目睹的。I saw it with my eyes.

正确的用法是1)，同上，“亲眼”一词也是画蛇添足。Such as above，“亲眼” is also superfouous.

11.曾几何时 ceng2 ji3 he2 shi2

“补官扬州，公得谢归。曾几何时，讣者来门。-宋·王安石·《祭盛侍郎文》

曾：曾经(once)。几何：多少(how much)。时：时间(time)。

指时间过去没多久。not long before.

Character：中性(neutral).

example:1)曾几何时，这栋大楼就已经完工了。(It wasn't long before this building is already completed. ) 2)曾几何时，女人是男人的附庸。(woman is the teibutary of man once.)

正确的用法是1)，第二句把“没多久”的意思弄错了，而且“曾几何时”本是说现在，在第二句里却变成了追溯过去的意思。The correct example is 1).Because the example 2) is mistaken with the meaning of "not long"(in this sentence, it means "long").And “曾几何时” means AT PRESENT,but it means ONCE here.

12.不刊之论 bu4 kan1 zhi1 lun4

“故中兴难于创业，是谓不刊之说。”-宋·吴曾·《能改斋漫录·议论》

刊：削除，因为古代是用竹简写字，有不好的就把它削除掉。(expunction.People wrote character in ancient times,so they expunged character which is wrong.)

不能修改的文章，指文章非常好。(The article that can't be altered.Means it's pecfect.)

词性：褒义(commendatory)

example:1)这篇文章可以说是不刊之论。(This essay can't be altered,as it were.)2)你这种不刊之论根本就发表不了。(Such terrible essay written by you can't be published at all.)

正确的用法是1)，人们用错它也许是因为“刊”在现在是“刊登”的意思。The correct example is 1).Maybe "刊" means "publish" at present is the reason why people make this mistake.

13.炙手可热 zhi4 shou3 ke3 re4

“炙手可热势绝伦，慎莫近前丞相嗔。”-唐·杜甫·《丽人行》

手一靠近就觉得很热，比喻某人权势逼人。(feel very hot when one put his hand near.compared to one's insufferably arrogant with great power.)

词性:贬义(derogatory)

example:1)他在这个镇上可以说是炙手可热。(He is in the supreme arrogance with great power in this towm.)2)有这么多人参与竞争，经理的职位可以说是炙手可热。(Seems he position of manager is acceptable with so many competitor. )

正确的用法是1)，这个成语是不能等同于现在的“热门，受欢迎”的意思。The correct example is 1)。Because this idiom is not equal to the word "hot/acceptable".

I can't find more idioms that is not only common but also easy.So this thread is over.

Actually you can barely find the original use of some idioms in the life,such as "胴体".Maybe the title "Wrong usage" is inproper,it's just a culture change.

More similar idioms is generally accepted with their changed meaning:"无毒不丈夫；虎父无犬子；逃之夭夭；落花流水；一蹴而就".With out konwing it's original meaning didn't affect on use of them.

Thank you for your reading my thread,and hope it's a bit helpful.

[rootfool]

Is it too hard?Or nobody is interested in this?

can you give me some advice?

[skylee]

You said "to be continued". I am waiting.

[ajax]

I'm interested, but I'm confused about the first one: 空穴来风. I've come across it once or twice, and it seemed to be used to mean something like an unsubstantiated rumor. This seems more like your "wrong" usage than "right".

My 现代汉语词典 appears to say the same thing: "有了洞穴才有风进来（语出宋玉《风赋》）。比喻消息和传说不是完全没有依据的，现多用来比喻消息和传说毫无根据。"

I think one thing that frequently causes me to misunderstand chengyu is the ABC dictionary, which thanks to plecodict and wenlin I tend to use all the time. It has everything, but the definitions are sometimes worse than nothing at all. For instance, 空穴来风 is defined as "lay oneself open to criticism." Maybe my English is bad, but that doesn't help me much.

[HashiriKata]

I saw your post early on and I wanted to tell you something about it but instead, I only debated with myself whether to tell or not to tell

I think this kind of posts will be very interesting and useful to learners, but with each chengyu, you don't just say what is wrong and right use, but need to tell us why they're wrong or right, shed some light on the meaning when you think it may help understanding.

For example, as a learner, I'd naturally wonder why 明日黄花 is associated with "dated message/thing"; what 前三甲 has to do with "first-class,second-class and third-class", why people use 差强人意 in two opposite senses, etc. I'm sure they're all interesting to know.

In short, tell us some stories about them to help us remember them more easily.

[rootfool]

I don't know why you didn't add the poll (remember?).

I tried it twice,but I don't know why it didn't work.

I'll try it again...

You said "to be continued". I am waiting.

thank you.I'll try my best to list more I can.

This seems more like your "wrong" usage than "right".

as you say,seldom people know its right meaning.that's why I post this thread.

I only debated with myself whether to tell or not to tell

tell us some stories about them to help us remember them more easily

I debated with myself whether to write or not too.

thank you,I'll add some stories about them.

[gato]

Keep up the good work, rootfool!

The classical might be a little tough for learners, though. This format would be a little easier:

From 《多功能学生成语词典》(I added the English):

差强人意 chāqiáng-rényì (note 差 is pronounced chā here) -

原指还算能振奋人的意志 (originally refers to could passably excite people's will)，现指大体上还能使人满意 (now refers to more or less satisfactory).

差：大致，还可以 (more or less; passable). 强：振奋，使满足 (excite; satisfy).

Example: 研讨会收到的论文数量不少，质量也还差强人意。

Character: 中性 (neutral).

反义词 (antonym): 大失所望.

[roddy]

Try this format:

成语成语

Explanation of how it should be used.

1) Example of correct usage

2) Example of incorrect usage

Q: Identify the correct usage

A: The correct answer is 1) / 2), because . . .

[rootfool]

thank you,roddy and gato.

[Shadowdh]

Now this thread is going to be good, please do continue...

[rootfool]

if my explanation or translation is wrong,please let me know so I can correct them.thank you.