📖 Meaning
A metaphor for the literary heritage and cultural legacy left behind by earlier writers. It describes how later generations are nourished by and benefit from the achievements of their predecessors. It is interchangeable with the more common variant 残膏剩馥.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from classical Chinese literary criticism, where 'fat and fragrance' (膏馥) symbolize the richness, beauty, and influence of great literary works. The underlying imagery appears in the New Tang History (新唐书) in the commentary on the poet Du Fu, which describes how later writers '沾丐' (benefit from) the residual brilliance of earlier masters. The phrase evokes ointment and scent that continue to nourish others long after the original source is gone. It is used to praise those who inherit and carry forward the literary accomplishments of past generations.
💡 Example Usage
他的诗词风格深受唐宋大家影响，可谓沾溉余膏剩馥，自成一派。
His poetic style was deeply influenced by the great masters of the Tang and Song dynasties; one might say he drew nourishment from their leftover richness and fragrance, forming a school of his own.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 余膏剩馥
- Pinyin: yú gāo shèng fù
- Literal Translation: leftover fat, remaining fragrance
- Category: Wisdom
- Characters: 4