刀峰过处，如滚瓜切菜。What does it mean?

[Nork02]

Hi all,

I've found this sentence in a script that talks about the characteristics of the sabre's technique in chinese wushu and.....geez!

This is the whole sentence:

刀本身面宽而背 厚，交手之时，可大劈大砍，硬挡硬架，刀峰过处，如滚瓜切菜。

Any idea?

Thanks

[skylee]

It is 鋒, not 峰. Note the different radicals on the left.

刀鋒過處，如滾瓜切菜 describes the sharpness of the blade, or the extreme force of the person using the blade. It means that wherever/whatever the blade touches, things (limbs, furniture, etc) fall apart like melons rolling (on the ground) or vegetables being chopped up.

[monto]

skylee： That's it.

[skylee]

You might also wish to know a similar expression on sharpness: 削鐵如泥, cutting iron as if it were soil.

[Nork02]

Thank you guys!!!

[zozzen]

but why "滾瓜"?

is "破瓜" more suitable?

[skylee]

very funny.

[studentyoung]

but why "滾瓜"?

is "破瓜" more suitable?

Please take a look at the texts below.

一、指十六岁

　　破瓜：旧时文人拆“瓜”字为二八以纪年，谓十六岁，诗文中多用于女子。亦作“分瓜”。

　　《通俗编•妇女》：“宋谢幼盘诗：‘破瓜年纪小腰身。’按俗以女子破身为破瓜，非也。瓜字破为二八字，言其二八十六岁耳。”

　　《随园诗话》卷十三 有云：

　　《古乐府》：“碧玉破瓜时。”或解以为月事初来，如破瓜则见红潮者，非也。盖将瓜纵横破之，成二“八”字，作十六岁解也。

http://baike.baidu.com/view/566557.htm 破瓜

Cheers!

[skylee]

But studentyoung, I would think that zozzen knew it.

[amego]

but why "滾瓜"?

is "破瓜" more suitable?

Reminds me of "滚瓜烂熟" Lit: Boiled melons mashed cooked. Means that you memorize something very hard, until its at your fingertips, to learn by heart.

我已经把这些唐诗背得滚瓜烂熟了。

I've memorized these Tang poems by heart.

[monto]

刀峰过处，如滚瓜切菜

Better to say 刀锋过处，如砍瓜切菜 or 如开瓜切菜.

破瓜 has a specific meaning, so better to avoid it here.