📖 Meaning
Baseless, unfounded talk that cannot be trusted. The phrase originates from Mencius's contemptuous dismissal of commoners' words as unreliable hearsay. It is used to describe absurd rumors or claims lacking any factual foundation.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Warring States period text 《孟子·万章上》, recorded in the words of Mencius (孟子), a prominent Confucian philosopher of the Qi state. When discussing ancient historical events with his disciple Wan Zhang (万章), Mencius rejected certain popular accounts as '齐东野人之语' — the words of the rustic people living in the eastern part of the Qi state — rather than the words of a gentleman. He thereby dismissed peasant talk as groundless and unworthy of belief. Over time, the phrase was shortened to '齐东野语' and came to signify any absurd, unsubstantiated claim.
💡 Example Usage
这些传闻纯属齐东野语，实在不足为信。
These rumors are nothing but baseless rustic chatter, and are not worth taking seriously.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 齐东野语
- Pinyin: qí dōng yě yǔ
- Literal Translation: eastern Qi, rustic, speech
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4