idle life; complacency; rust from inactivity
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
flesh growing on the thighs again from long neglect of riding; to rust from long inaction and lack of practice
literaryThis idiom comes from a story in the historical text "Records of the Three Kingdoms," where Liu Bei laments his lack of accomplishment after a period of comfortable life. It is used to criticize or regret a person's idleness and failure to achieve their ambitions.
Tā他
zài在
jiā家
fù赋
xián闲
shù数
nián年
，
pō颇
yǒu有
bì髀
ròu肉
fù复
shēng生
zhī之
tàn叹
。
Having been idle at home for several years, he sighed with the lament of 'flesh growing on the thighs'.
Wǒ我
men们
bù不
néng能
ān安
yú于
xiàn现
zhuàng状
，
yǐ以
zhì致
bì髀
ròu肉
fù复
shēng生
，
huāng荒
fèi废
le了
běn本
lǐng领
。
We must not be content with the status quo, lest we grow idle and let our skills rust.
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Zhè这
wèi位
jiāng将
jūn军
tuì退
yì役
hòu后
，
cháng常
gǎn感
kǎi慨
bì髀
ròu肉
fù复
shēng生
，
huái怀
niàn念
xī昔
rì日
zhēng征
zhàn战
de的
suì岁
yuè月
。
After retiring, this general often lamented his idle life, missing the years of battle from the past.