| 剑走偏锋 |
jiàn zǒu piān fēng |
the sword moves with side stroke (modern idiom) / fig. unexpected winning move / unconventional gambit |
| 剑 |
jiàn |
double-edged sword / CL:口,把 / classifier for blows of a sword |
| 剑 |
jiàn |
variant of 剑 |
| 走 |
zǒu |
to walk / to go / to run / to move (of vehicle) / to visit / to leave / to go away / to die (euph.) / from / through / away (in compound verbs, such as 撤走) / to change (shape, form, meaning) |
| 走偏 |
zǒu piān |
to deviate from the correct course / (fig.) to go astray |
| 走偏锋 |
zǒu piān fēng |
to write with the tip of the brush tilted / (fig.) to resort to devious means |
| 偏 |
piān |
to lean / to slant / oblique / prejudiced / to deviate from average / to stray from the intended line / stubbornly / contrary to expectations |
| 偏锋 |
piān fēng |
(calligraphy) technique in which the shaft of the brush is held at a low angle, so that the tip of the brush runs along the edge of the stroke (cf. 正锋 and 侧锋) / (fig.) unorthodox or improper way of doing things |
| 锋 |
fēng |
point of a spear / edge of a tool / vanguard / forward (in sports team) |