📖 Meaning
The idiom literally means analyzing profits down to the finest autumn hair. It describes someone who manages finances and accounts with extreme meticulousness and shrewdness, never missing even the smallest detail. It is commonly used to praise careful and precise financial management.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the 'Treatise on the Equalization of Prices' (平准书) chapter in Sima Qian's 'Records of the Grand Historian' (史记), written during the Western Han Dynasty. The original passage states that three officials discussed matters of revenue and profit, analyzing things down to the finest detail. It reflects the Han court's increasingly sophisticated approach to fiscal policy and taxation under Emperor Wu, when officials scrutinized every aspect of state income and expenditure.
💡 Example Usage
他管理公司财务利析秋毫，每一笔开支都要反复核对。
He manages the company's finances with meticulous precision, double-checking every single expense.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 利析秋毫
- Pinyin: lì xī qiū háo
- Literal Translation: profit, analyze, autumn, hair
- Category: Method
- Characters: 4