📖 Meaning
To devise an idea or method that is distinctively original and unlike what others do. It describes creative thinking that breaks from convention to produce something uniquely one's own.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase comes from Qing Dynasty scholar Yuan Mei's work 《随园诗话补遗》(Supplement to Poetry Talks from the Garden of What Follows), volume twelve. Yuan Mei praised Zhang Yiyi, the hereditary military governor of Songjiang, who despite coming from a noble military lineage, composed a poem titled 'Yan Beach' that displayed a refreshingly original approach. The phrase was used to highlight how the poem stood out from conventional works through its distinctive creative conception.
💡 Example Usage
这部小说的叙事结构独出新裁，令读者耳目一新。
The novel's narrative structure is refreshingly original, leaving readers with a sense of novelty.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 独出新裁
- Pinyin: dú chū xīn cái
- Literal Translation: alone, produce, new, cut
- Category: Method
- Characters: 4