1. Clear soup with little water
Pronunciation: qīng tāng guǎ shuǐ
Explanation: It describes a dish with too much water, rough and tasteless.
Source: Jinyun Wang Yi's "The Fool King Boss": "On the dinner table, there is little water in the clear soup, but on the hot kang, the loving couple."
2. The taste is the same as chewing wax
Pronunciation: wèi tóng jiáo là
Explanation: It tastes like chewing wax.
Describes speaking or writing as boring.
Source: "The Scholars" by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty: "As soon as people see fame and fame, they risk their lives to seek it; until they get it, it is just like chewing wax."
Vernacular interpretation: When most people see fame, they beg for it desperately, but after they get it, they find it boring.
3. Leftovers
Pronunciation: cán gēng lěng zhì
Explanation: Refers to leftover food.
It is also a metaphor for things given by others.
Source: Tang Dynasty Du Fu's "A Presentation to Wei Zuo Cheng Zhang": "The broken cup and the cold food are full of sorrow and bitterness."
Vernacular interpretation: the remaining wine and the cold food , there is sadness and hard work everywhere.
4. Bland and tasteless
Pronunciation: dàn ér wú wèi
Explanation: bland: thin, opposite to "thick".
The dishes have no taste due to lack of salt.
Also refers to light and tasteless.
It also describes the content of speaking and writing articles as dull and uninteresting.
Source: Chapter 12 of "Flowers in the Mirror" by Li Ruzhen of the Qing Dynasty: "The common people eat it because it is bland and tasteless, not as fragrant as rice."
Vernacular interpretation: common people Because it is bland and tasteless, without the fragrance of rice, you can eat very little.
5. Rough tea and light rice
Pronunciation: cū chá dàn fàn
Explanation: rough: rough and simple; light rice: refers to simple food.
Describe simple diet and simple life.
Source: Song Dynasty Huang Tingjian's "Preface to the Poems of the Four Rest Guides": "Rest when you are full with coarse tea and light food; rest when you mend the broken and warm the cold; rest when you are full and full; rest when you are not greedy or jealous."
Vernacular interpretation: Stop eating simple meals when you are full, rest when you are warm and mending the cold, live a decent life, be very satisfied, and not greedy or jealous.