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拖泥带水

拖泥帶水
tuōnídàishuǐ
idiom #33,229

Meanings

  1. 1 dragging mud and trailing water
  2. 2 sloppy and indecisive
  3. 3 long-winded or wishy-washy

Examples

说话要干脆，别拖泥带水。
Shuōhuà yào gāncuì, bié tuōnídàishuǐ.
Speak clearly — don't ramble on and on.
他办事总是拖泥带水，效率很低。
Tā bànshì zǒngshì tuōnídàishuǐ, xiàolǜ hěn dī.
He handles things messily and indecisively — very inefficient.

Tips

history
The image appears in Chan (Zen) texts 《碧岩录》 and 《五灯会元》: saying 'Buddha' or 'Zen' already drags mud — i.e. spoils the purity through words.
usage
Usually applied to speech or decision-making rather than literal messiness. Opposite: 干脆利落.

Stroke Order

拖 tuō
泥 ní
带 dài
水 shuǐ