📖 Meaning
To whip one's horse and pound the stirrups, urging it to gallop at full speed. The idiom describes a rapid, urgent march or hasty travel, typically in a military context.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom comes from the Qing dynasty playwright Li Yu's (李渔) work 'Naihe Tian' (奈何天), in the scene titled 'Zuan Yang' (攒羊). The original line reads, 'Break the cauldrons and burn the boats, strike the whip and pound the stirrups, fear not the wind's chill or the snow's cold.' The imagery is of a soldier desperately spurring his horse forward through harsh winter conditions. It conveys both urgency and resolve in pressing onward despite adversity.
💡 Example Usage
前方军情紧急，将士们击鞭锤镫，连夜奔赴前线。
The military situation was urgent; the soldiers whipped their horses and pounded their stirrups, rushing to the front lines through the night.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 击鞭锤镫
- Pinyin: jī biān chuí dèng
- Literal Translation: strike whip, pound stirrups
- Category: Action
- Characters: 4