| 断袖之癖 |
duàn xiù zhī pǐ |
lit. cut sleeve (idiom); fig. euphemism for homosexuality, originating from History of Western Han 汉书: emperor Han Aidi (real name Liu Xin) was in bed with his lover Dong Xian, and had to attend a court audience that morning. Not wishing to awaken Dong Xian, who was sleeping with his head resting on the emperor's long robe sleeve, Aidi used a knife to cut off the lower half of his sleeve. |
| 断 |
duàn |
to break / to snap / to cut off / to give up or abstain from sth / to judge / (usu. used in the negative) absolutely / definitely / decidedly |
| 断袖 |
duàn xiù |
homosexual / see 断袖之癖 |
| 袖 |
xiù |
sleeve / to tuck inside one's sleeve |
| 之 |
zhī |
(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的) / him / her / it |
| 癖 |
pǐ |
habit / hobby |