📖 Meaning
A metaphor for tangled, unclear, or improperly mixed-up relationships and affairs. It evokes the image of black silk and hemp threads twisted together so that one cannot tell them apart, describing situations that are hopelessly confused or suspicious.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from Ming dynasty writer Feng Menglong's collection 'Jing Shi Tong Yan' (Stories to Caution the World), Volume 33. In the original passage, a character reassures that he keeps watch over someone at home, questioning whether there could be any messy or improper entanglements. The imagery of black silk threads and hemp lines tangled together came to symbolize affairs that are muddled and cannot be clearly distinguished.
💡 Example Usage
这件事闹得皂丝麻线，谁也说不清楚。
This matter became so tangled and confused that no one could explain it clearly.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 皂丝麻线
- Pinyin: zào sī má xiàn
- Literal Translation: black, silk, hemp, thread
- Category: Clarity
- Characters: 4