📖 Meaning
Refers to things that a person particularly prefers or has a personal taste for. The phrase metaphorically describes individual preferences that are difficult to explain or rationalize, drawing from two historical figures' unusual food tastes.
📜 Origin Story
According to tradition, King Wen of Zhou (周文王) had a fondness for changzhu, a type of pickled vegetable, while Zeng Dian (曾点) of the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period loved yangzao, a type of date. The phrase was later employed by the Song dynasty poet Su Shi in his 'Reply to Li Duanshu' (答李端叔书), where he remarked that although he was disliked by most, two friends alone praised him—like someone's peculiar taste for changzhu and yangzao, which is not easy to question why.
💡 Example Usage
各人偏好如昌歜羊枣，本无优劣之分，不必强求一致。
Personal preferences, like changzhu and yangzao, have no inherent superiority; there is no need to force uniformity.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 昌歜羊枣
- Pinyin: chāng chù yáng zǎo
- Literal Translation: changzhu, a pickled vegetable, sheep-date, a kind of jujube
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4