to sharpen one's spear only on the eve of battle; to act at the last minute
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
to sharpen one's spear only before going into battle; to make preparations at the last minute
Used to criticize poor planning or procrastination. Has a slightly derogatory connotation, implying the results will be subpar.
Tā他
píng平
shí时
bù不
fù复
xí习
，
kǎo考
shì试
qián前
yī一
tiān天
wǎn晚
shang上
cái才
lín临
zhèn阵
mó磨
qiāng枪
。
He never reviewed his lessons and only started cramming the night before the exam.
Zhè这
ge个
xiàng项
mù目
tā他
tuō拖
le了
zhè这
me么
jiǔ久
，
xiàn现
zài在
lín临
zhèn阵
mó磨
qiāng枪
，
zhì质
liàng量
kěn肯
dìng定
bù不
xíng行
。
He procrastinated on this project for so long; now he's rushing at the last minute, so the quality definitely won't be good.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Fán凡
shì事
yào要
tí提
qián前
guī规
huà划
，
bù不
yào要
zǒng总
shì是
lín临
zhèn阵
mó磨
qiāng枪
。
Plan things ahead; don't always wait until the last minute to prepare.