Cheng Yu

[Scoobyqueen]

The language certainly lends itself to such creative use. ) .

[zhxlier]

you could try google “正龙拍虎”. However I think it's only made up for fun. I doubt it would become a real chengyu.

[zozzen]

can "斷背山" be a "chengyu", comparing to 下馬威, 眼中釘, 閉門羹 that were listed in my chengyu dictionary?

[ABCinChina]

斷背山 = Brokeback Mountain, film by Ang Lee

I remember being in Taiwan and someone told me that it was a story about two married men who ended up being gay.

[Philee]

Making of 成语 needs time and wide acceptance. It is common that we can make our own 成语 and use it within my social cycles but that doesn't make a well accepted 成语.

the latest 成语 I think is 与时俱进.

[Lu]

ABC, it's a better movie than how your friend describes it. The term 断背山 has I think become slang for gay, much like in the US.

Chengyus are always four characters, if it's not four characters, it's not called a chengyu. I think that's the reason the expressions zozzen mentions can't be found in a chengyu dictionary: they have only three characters.

[Philee]

Name of 断臂山 comes from the 成语 断袖之癖 that comes from 《汉书》 History of Han Dynasty

《汉书·董贤传》：“常与上卧起。尝昼寝，偏藉上袖，上欲起，贤未觉，不欲动贤，乃断袖而起。”

（Dong Xian often slept and woke up with the emperor (which indicated Dong Xian slept whole night with the emperor and that they had an abnormal relationship ). Once he fell asleep during the daytime resting his head on emperor's sleeves. The emperor meant to stand on his feet but Dong Xian didn't notice since he was asleep. The emperor didn't want to spoil his dream and cut his sleeve and stood up.）

[Jialihai Jiejie]

常与上卧起。尝昼寝，偏藉上袖，上欲起，贤未觉，不欲动贤，乃断袖而起

That's actually quite interesting: 上 appears 3 times; 欲, 2 times; 起, 3 times.

Sexual references were so heavy - even an idiot can work that out?!

Jialihai Jiejie

[Philee]

what's the connection between sexual references and 上 and 欲 and 起?

上 means emperor

欲 means want to not sexual desire

起 means to stand up or to wake up

[Lu]

Name of 断臂山 comes from the 成语 断袖之癖 that comes from 《汉书》 History of Han Dynasty

I'm quite sure it doesn't. Brokeback Mountain was also the title of the original story by Annie Proulx, who likely has never heard of the story of the cut sleeve. And it's quite a stretch anyway from 'cut sleeve' to 'brokeback'.

上欲起 doesn't have sexual connotations, it just means 'the emperor wanted to get up'. 上欲起 every morning, no matter his company.

[Jialihai Jiejie]

the emperor wanted to get up

So ordinary people might interpret this as 'the emperor wanted to wake up'

But people with a dirty mind, like Jialihai Jiejie, of course will see this differently.

Just pardon Jialihai Jiejie...

She's a real frenetic Freudian!

Jialihai Jiejie

[zozzen]

Chengyus are always four characters, if it's not four characters, it's not called a chengyu. I think that's the reason the expressions zozzen mentions can't be found in a chengyu dictionary: they have only three characters.

that's quite incorrect. Most chengyu is in four character, but that's not a must.

千里送鵝毛

http://www.google.cn/search?q=%E6%88%90%E8%AA%9E+%E5%8D%83%E9%87%8C%E9%80%81%E9%B5%9D%E6%AF%9B&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enHK231HK231

下馬威

http://www.google.cn/search?complete=1&hl=zh-CN&newwindow=1&rlz=1B3GGGL_enHK231HK231&q=%E6%88%90%E8%AA%9E+%E4%B8%8B%E9%A6%AC%E5%A8%81&btnG=Google+%E6%90%9C%E7%B4%A2&meta=&aq=f&oq=

I've heard the same misleading idea about chengyu a few weeks ago in a Guess-Chengyu game. You may need a better chengyu dictionary.