穷家小户杀出来的姑娘

[poleag]

穷家小户杀出来的姑娘

Can someone please explain this phrase? A character in 北京爱情的故事 says this when he describes a girl.

I think she comes from a poor family, but I don't understand what 杀 means in this context. One of my Chinese friends says that 杀 has no meaning here.

[skylee]

One of my Chinese friends says that 杀 has no meaning here.

I disagree. I think you can interpret the 殺 here as in that in 殺出重圍/殺出一條血路, that is to fight and to breakthrought despite the difficult situation / background.

PS - I have given this some more thought. Depending on the context, I think it can also be interpreted as in the 殺 in 半路殺出一個程咬金, that is, appearing out of the blue/ unexpectedly.

[poleag]

Thank you. I think your first suggestion makes more sense given the context. He could tell by her looks that she was no longer poor. He guessed that she had fought her way out of poverty by becoming a self-made, entrepreneurial woman.