縮手縮腳

See also: 缩手缩脚

Chinese

FWOTD – 1 July 2023

		to draw back one's hand; to shrink from doing something	to withdraw; to pull back; to contract to withdraw; to pull back; to contract; to shrink; to reduce	role; foot; base
trad. (縮手縮腳)		縮手	縮	腳
simp. (缩手缩脚)		缩手	缩	脚

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): suōshǒusuōjiǎo

(Zhuyin): ㄙㄨㄛㄕㄡˇ ㄙㄨㄛㄐㄧㄠˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): suk¹ sau² suk¹ goek³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: suōshǒusuōjiǎo
  - Zhuyin: ㄙㄨㄛㄕㄡˇ ㄙㄨㄛㄐㄧㄠˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: suoshǒusuojiǎo
  - Wade–Giles: so¹-shou³-so¹-chiao³
  - Yale: swō-shǒu-swō-jyǎu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: suoshoousuojeau
  - Palladius: сошоусоцзяо (sošousoczjao)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /su̯ɔ⁵⁵ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ su̯ɔ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: suk¹ sau² suk¹ goek³
  - Yale: sūk sáu sūk geuk
  - Cantonese Pinyin: suk⁷ sau² suk⁷ goek⁸
  - Guangdong Romanization: sug¹ seo² sug¹ gêg³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sʊk̚⁵ sɐu̯³⁵ sʊk̚⁵ kœːk̚³/

Idiom

縮手縮腳

to curl up one's limbs (due to the cold)
(figurative) to be overcautious and constrained
- 許多人不承認社會主義社會還有矛盾，因而使得他們在社會矛盾面前縮手縮腳，處於被動地位。 [MSC, trad.]
  许多人不承认社会主义社会还有矛盾，因而使得他们在社会矛盾面前缩手缩脚，处于被动地位。 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 1957, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《關於正確處理人民內部矛盾的問題》 (On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition
  Xǔduō rén bù chéngrèn shèhuì zhǔyì shèhuì hái yǒu máodùn, yīn'ér shǐdé tāmen zài shèhuì máodùn miànqián suōshǒusuōjiǎo, chǔyú bèidòng dìwèi. [Pinyin]
  Many do not admit that contradictions still exist in socialist society, with the result that they become irresolute and passive when confronted with social contradictions.