📖 Meaning
An idiom describing the determination to thoroughly repent and correct past mistakes in order to start anew. It conveys a visceral willingness to undergo painful self-reform, as if scouring one's inner self clean.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the 'Biography of Xun Boyu' in the 'History of the Southern Dynasties' (南史·荀伯玉传), a work documenting the Southern Dynasties period. Xun Boyu, a loyal official, used striking imagery to express his resolve to reform if given the chance, saying he would 'swallow swords to scrape his intestines and drink ashes to wash his stomach.' The metaphor was meant to demonstrate the extremity of his contrition and commitment to becoming a better person. Over time, the full phrase was condensed into the four-character idiom '刮肠洗胃'.
💡 Example Usage
出狱之后，他决心刮肠洗胃，从此告别过去那段不堪回首的生活。
After his release from prison, he resolved to completely turn his life around and leave behind that shameful chapter of his past.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 刮肠洗胃
- Pinyin: guā cháng xǐ wèi
- Literal Translation: scrape intestines, wash stomach
- Category: Recovery
- Characters: 4