luxuriant peach blossoms (from Book of Songs); pun for fleeing
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesidiom
luxuriant are the peach blossoms; young and elegant (from the Book of Songs)
literaryOriginally from the Book of Songs (Shijing), describing the lush, beautiful peach blossoms. The phrase '夭夭' means flourishing or gorgeous. This is the original literary usage before the homophonic pun developed.
The Book of Songs contains the line "The peach tree is young and elegant, brilliant are its flowers."
Spring has arrived; the peach blossoms are luxuriant, filling the garden with spring colors.
verb
to flee; to run away; to make oneself scarce (humorous pun)
informalA humorous pun based on the homophone between 桃 (táo, peach) and 逃 (táo, to escape). The phrase is used jokingly to describe someone slipping away or fleeing, often implying a hasty or sneaky departure. This usage plays on the original literary phrase from the Book of Songs.
As soon as the police arrived, the thief made himself scarce.
He owed debts and had long since fled, his whereabouts unknown.
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Before anyone could react, he had already slipped away.