📖 Meaning
A metaphor for being unable to escape suspicion even when there is no actual wrongdoing. The idiom plays on the similarity between silk thread and ordinary thread: though there is no 'silk' (no real basis for blame), a 'thread' of suspicion still lingers. It describes a situation where one's innocence cannot fully dispel others' doubts.
📜 Origin Story
There is no specific recorded origin story for this idiom. The expression exploits the phonetic and semantic kinship between 丝 (silk) and 线 (thread), suggesting that even when the 'silk' — the actual misdeed — is absent, a 'thread' of suspicion still remains attached. It appears in vernacular Chinese usage to depict circumstances of unavoidable implied guilt. No particular dynasty or historical figure is reliably associated with its coinage.
💡 Example Usage
他虽然没参与那件事，但无丝有线，总有人怀疑他。
Though he had nothing to do with the matter, suspicion still clung to him and people kept doubting him.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 无丝有线
- Pinyin: wú sī yǒu xiàn
- Literal Translation: no, silk, have, thread
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4