挤牙膏

擠牙膏

jǐyágāo

idiom

Meanings

1 to squeeze out a toothpaste tube (lit.)
2 to speak reluctantly, letting out a bit at a time under pressure
3 to drip-feed information only when pressed

Characters

Examples

他说话挤牙膏似的，问一句才答一句。

Tā shuōhuà jǐyágāo shìde, wèn yī jù cái dá yī jù.

He speaks like he's squeezing toothpaste — one word out for every question asked.

别再挤牙膏了，一次说清楚吧。

Bié zài jǐyágāo le, yī cì shuō qīngchu ba.

Stop drip-feeding it out — say the whole thing at once.

警察审讯时他一直挤牙膏。

Jǐngchá shěnxùn shí tā yīzhí jǐyágāo.

During the police interrogation he kept giving up information in reluctant dribs and drabs.

Tips

memory

You squeeze a toothpaste tube and only a little comes out each time. The image captures perfectly someone whose every detail has to be pried out of them.

Stroke Order

挤 jǐ

牙 yá

膏 gāo