📖 Meaning
Describes writing that is obscure, awkward, and difficult to read smoothly. It refers to prose that is deliberately archaic or convoluted, making it hard to follow. The idiom is a variant of 诘屈聱牙.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase comes from Qing dynasty scholar Chen Tian's preface to Records of Ming Poetry, Volume Five (《明诗纪事戊签》序). Chen Tian praised Ming dynasty prose writers Tang Shunzhi (Jingchuan), Wang Shenzhong (Zunyan), and Gui Youguang (Zhenchuan) for transforming the difficult, archaic Qin-Han style into the smoother style of Ouyang Xiu and Zeng Gong. The line '易诘屈謷牙为字顺文从' means they replaced awkward, convoluted writing with text that flows naturally and logically.
💡 Example Usage
这篇文章用词生僻，诘屈謷牙，读起来十分费解。
This article uses obscure vocabulary and is so convoluted that it is very difficult to understand.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 诘屈謷牙
- Pinyin: jié qū dà yá
- Literal Translation: twisted and bent, grinding the teeth
- Category: Clarity
- Characters: 4