📖 Meaning
To hold the door bolt and grasp the keys, referring to the humble duty of a gatekeeper or minor custodial official. It metaphorically denotes a low-ranking, modest position or post. The phrase is often used to express a willingness to serve in a humble capacity.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Han Dynasty scholar Cai Yong's (蔡邕) work 'Letter of Thanks to the Governor of Ba Commandery' (《巴郡太守谢版》). In the letter, Cai Yong stated that the heavy responsibility of an advisory ministerial role was beyond what he deserved for long, and he humbly petitioned for only a minor gatekeeping post, holding the door bolt and keys. Unexpectedly, he was instead appointed to a major post governing a region a thousand li away. The phrase thereafter became a classical metaphor for a humble, lowly official position.
💡 Example Usage
他虽有大才，却甘愿抱关执籥，不慕荣华。
Though possessed of great talent, he was content to serve as a humble gatekeeper, unmoved by thoughts of glory and wealth.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 抱关执籥
- Pinyin: bào guān zhí yuè
- Literal Translation: hold, gate, grasp, key
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4