📖 Meaning
To look left and right; to examine carefully in all directions. It describes someone who glances around attentively, often to inspect details or ensure everything is in order.
📜 Origin Story
From the Song dynasty scholar Hong Mai's collection 'Yi Jian Ding Zhi' (Records of the Listener, Volume Ding), in the chapter 'She Chi Bao' (Retribution for Extravagance). The passage describes a man who rented a study and was exceedingly particular about keeping his clothes clean. He would look left and right carefully, and if anything was even slightly untidy, he would immediately call a craftsman to fix it. The idiom thus conveys the act of scrutinizing one's surroundings with meticulous attention.
💡 Example Usage
他走进会场，左顾右眄，确认每位来宾都已就座。
He entered the hall, glancing left and right to confirm that every guest was already seated.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 左顾右眄
- Pinyin: zuǒ gù yòu miǎn
- Literal Translation: left, look, right, glance
- Category: Action
- Characters: 4