Definition & Meaning

attack by innuendo; point at the mulberry and abuse the locust; abuse a person by ostensibly pointing to someone else

Word usage

zhǐ sāng mà huái

指 桑 骂 槐

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Chinese dictionary
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derogattack by innuendo; point at the mulberry and abuse the locust; abuse a person by ostensibly pointing to someone else
- tā yǒu gè huài xí guàn nà jiù shì dāng tā gēn mǒu rén chǎo zuǐ shí jīng cháng zhǐ sāng mà huái
  他有个坏习惯，那就是，当他跟某人吵嘴时，经常指桑骂槐。
  When quarreling with somebody, he has a bad habit of pointing at one person but abusing another.
synonym
hán shā shè yǐng含沙射影 zhǐ dōng shuō xī指东说西 zhǐ jī mà gǒu指鸡骂狗
antonym
zhí jié liǎo dàng直截了当 kāi mén jiàn shān开门见山 zhí yán bù huì直言不讳 dān dāo zhí rù单刀直入 zhǐ míng dào xìng指名道姓

Word usage

Note
"指桑骂槐" is different from "含沙射影". "含沙射影" means secretly slandering and slandering people; "指桑骂槐" means publicly cursing (although not directly).

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