缩手缩脚

縮手縮腳
suōshǒusuōjiǎo
idiom #36,668

Meanings

  1. 1 timid and hesitant
  2. 2 overly cautious
  3. 3 shrinking back

Examples

Zuòshì bùyào suō shǒu suō jiǎo, yào dàdǎn chángshì.
Don't be timid — try boldly.
Tā zài xīn huánjìng lǐ xiǎnde suō shǒu suō jiǎo.
He seemed hesitant in the new environment.
Tiān lěng de ràng rén suō shǒu suō jiǎo.
It's so cold it makes people hunch up.

Tips

memory
Literally 'shrink (your) hands, shrink (your) feet.' The image works two ways: pulling in limbs from the cold, and hesitating to act. Context distinguishes them.
usage
Figurative use (timid/hesitant) is far more common than the literal 'cold' reading. Often criticized — managers telling employees not to be 缩手缩脚.

Stroke Order

suō
shǒu
jiǎo