📖 Meaning
Literally 'red mouth and poisonous tongue,' describing someone whose words are vicious and hurtful. It refers to speech that is biting, cruel, and designed to wound others. The redness evokes fire and aggression, while the venom suggests deliberate malice in what is said.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from a poem by the Tang dynasty poet Lu Tong (卢仝) titled 'Lunar Eclipse' (《月蚀》). In the poem, Lu Tong describes a bird that acts as a host yet goes unnoticed, greedily entering people's homes and wielding a 'red mouth and poisonous tongue.' The imagery compares the bird's destructive chatter to venomous creatures, vividly conveying how malicious words can be as harmful as physical poison.
💡 Example Usage
他那人赤口毒舌，几句话就把同事气得当场落泪。
He has a red mouth and poisonous tongue; just a few words from him left his colleague in tears on the spot.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 赤口毒舌
- Pinyin: chì kǒu dú shé
- Literal Translation: red, mouth, poison, tongue
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4