打斧頭

打⫽斧頭 (verb-object)

1. (Cantonese, Hakka) to pocket some money when dealing with transactions on behalf of someone else, e.g., by keeping back a portion of the money entrusted to one for buying something or by adding an extra hidden charge
   • 1828, Robert Morrison, Vocabulary of the Canton Dialect: Part III. Chinese Words and Phrases‎^[1], Macao, China: East India Company's Press:

     你莫個總打斧頭 [Cantonese, trad.]
     你莫个总打斧头 [Cantonese, simp.]

     nei⁵ mok⁶ go³ zung² daa² fu² tau⁴ [Jyutping]

     You altogether not strike with the hammer—Don't chop off and pocket a part of the price—tell exactly what you paid for it.

   • 2017 August 10, 甄敏宜, “廚·神 搞企業 鄭偉誠牧師”, in 成報 [Sing Pao Daily News], page A07:

     後來我們又發現廚師買貨時打斧頭，所以我對廚師的印象很差。 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     后来我们又发现厨师买货时打斧头，所以我对厨师的印象很差。 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     hau⁶ loi⁴ ngo⁵ mun⁴ jau⁶ faat³ jin⁶ cyu⁴ si¹ maai⁵ fo³ si⁴ daa² fu² tau⁴, so² ji⁵ ngo⁵ deoi³ cyu⁴ si¹ dik¹ jan³ zoeng⁶ han² caa¹. [Jyutping]

     Later, we discovered the chef was pocketing money when stocking goods, so I have a very bad impression of chefs.

   • 2018 January 7, 蕭景源, “5歲女疑遭虐 遺體瘡痍周身 8歲兄亦新傷疊舊傷 父及繼母被拘”, in 文匯報 [Wen Wei Po], page A7:

     在寄養家庭居住的9歲兒子在農曆新年回家探望父親時，父親懷疑兒子買食物時「打斧頭」，把兒子擲向牆邊和梳化，並以6呎長膠棍毆打其頭部。 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     在寄养家庭居住的9岁儿子在农历新年回家探望父亲时，父亲怀疑儿子买食物时「打斧头」，把儿子掷向墙边和梳化，并以6呎长胶棍殴打其头部。 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     zoi⁶ gei³ joeng⁵ gaa¹ ting⁴ geoi¹ zyu⁶ dik¹ gau² seoi³ ji⁴ zi² zoi⁶ nung⁴ lik⁶ san¹ nin⁴ wui⁴ gaa¹ taam³ mong⁶ fu⁶ can¹ si⁴, fu⁶ can¹ waai⁴ ji⁴ ji⁴ zi² maai⁵ sik⁶ mat⁶ si⁴ “daa² fu² tau⁴”, baa² ji⁴ zi² zaak⁶ hoeng³ coeng⁴ bin¹ wo⁴ so¹ faa^3-2, bing⁶ ji⁵ luk⁶ cek³ coeng⁴ gaau¹ gwan³ au² daa² kei⁴ tau⁴ bou⁶. [Jyutping]

     A nine year old son, who was staying at a foster family, went home during Chinese New Year to visit his father. The father, suspecting his son pocketed money while buying food, threw him against the wall and the sofa, and hit his head with a 6 feet long plastic stick.