📖 Meaning
To put right what is in chaos and weed out corrupting abuses. It describes a leader who, upon taking office, restores order and eliminates entrenched malpractices so that society can recover. The idiom emphasizes decisive governance that both tidies up confusion and removes harmful elements.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the History of Liao (辽史), compiled under Toqto'a (脱脱) during the Yuan dynasty, in the biography of Han Deshu (韩德枢). Han Deshu asked to be sent to comfort and govern a troubled region, and was appointed military governor of the Liaoxing Army (辽兴军节度使). Upon taking up his post, he 'rectified disorder and weeded out abuses' (整纷剔蠹), winning the people's trust through kindness and integrity while encouraging farming and promoting education, so that within a single month the populace found relief.
💡 Example Usage
新任市长上任后整纷剔蠹，使城市面貌焕然一新。
After taking office, the new mayor rectified the disorder and weeded out abuses, giving the city a fresh new look.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 整纷剔蠹
- Pinyin: zhěng fēn tī dù
- Literal Translation: rectify, disorder, pick out, pests
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4