📖 Meaning
To use glib speech to argue cleverly or to sow discord by spreading gossip. It describes someone who manipulates words to cover up faults or stir up trouble through idle talk.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from a memorial written by Ren Fang of the Liang Dynasty during the Southern Dynasties, titled 'Zou Tan Fan Zhen' (Memorial Impeaching Fan Zhen). Fan Zhen was a scholar notorious for his argumentative and contentious nature. In the memorial, Ren Fang accused him of 'playing with his mouth and sounding his tongue' merely to gloss over his own wrongdoings. The expression has since been used to criticize those who employ clever rhetoric to deceive or to sow discord among others.
💡 Example Usage
他整日弄口鸣舌，挑拨同事之间的关系，最终被众人疏远。
He spent all day using glib words to sow discord among his colleagues, and was eventually shunned by everyone.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 弄口鸣舌
- Pinyin: nòng kǒu míng shé
- Literal Translation: play with, mouth, sound, tongue
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4