勾肩搭背
gōu jiān dā bèi
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1 arms around each other's shoulders (idiom)
取长补短
qǔ cháng bǔ duǎn
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1 lit. use others' strengths to make up for one's weak points (idiom from Mencius)
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2 to use this in place of that
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3 what you lose on the swings, you win on the roundabouts
吃人家的嘴软,拿人家的手短
chī rén jiā de zuǐ ruǎn , ná rén jiā de shǒu duǎn
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1 lit. the mouth that has been fed by others is soft, the hand that has received doesn't reach (idiom)
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2 fig. one is partial to those from whom presents have been accepted
张家长,李家短
Zhāng jiā cháng , Lǐ jiā duǎn
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1 lit. the Zhangs are better off than the Lis (idiom); to gossip about the neighbors
截长补短
jié cháng bǔ duǎn
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1 take from the long to supplement the short (idiom)
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2 to offset each other's deficiencies
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3 to complement each other
手心手背都是肉
shǒu xīn shǒu bèi dōu shì ròu
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1 lit. both the palm and the back of the hand are made of flesh (idiom)
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2 fig. to both be of equal importance
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3 to value both equally
扼喉抚背
è hóu fǔ bèi
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1 lit. to strangle the front and press the back (idiom)
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2 fig. to occupy all key points (military)
扬长避短
yáng cháng bì duǎn
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1 to foster strengths and avoid weaknesses (idiom)
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2 to play to one's strengths
昼短夜长
zhòu duǎn yè cháng
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1 the winter days are short and the nights long (idiom)
东家长西家短
dōng jiā cháng xī jiā duǎn
弃约背盟
qì yuē bèi méng
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1 to abrogate an agreement
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2 to break one's oath (idiom)
残年短景
cán nián duǎn jǐng
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1 at the end of the year (idiom)
汗流浃背
hàn liú jiā bèi
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1 to sweat profusely (idiom)
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2 drenched in sweat
火中取栗
huǒ zhōng qǔ lì
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1 lit. to pull chestnuts out of the fire (idiom)
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2 fig. to be sb's cat's-paw
争长论短
zhēng cháng lùn duǎn
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1 lit. to argue who is right and wrong (idiom); to quibble
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2 a storm in a teacup
短中抽长
duǎn zhōng chōu cháng
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1 to make the best of a bad job
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2 to make the best use of limited resources (idiom)
短兵相接
duǎn bīng xiāng jiē
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1 lit. short-weaponed soldiery fight one another (idiom); fierce hand-to-hand infantry combat
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2 to fight at close quarters
短小精悍
duǎn xiǎo jīng hàn
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1 (of a person) short but plucky (idiom)
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2 (of an article) concise and forceful
股栗
gǔ lì
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1 to shake like an aspen
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2 to shiver with fear (idiom)
股栗肤粟
gǔ lì fū sù
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1 with shuddering thighs and skin like gooseflesh (idiom)