烂芝麻

爛芝麻

lànzhīma

idiom

Meanings

1 stale, petty business
2 tired old trivialities
3 small, musty matters best forgotten

Characters

rotten, spoiled

Examples

别再提那些陈谷子烂芝麻了。

Bié zài tí nàxiē chéngǔzi lànzhīma le.

Stop dragging up those old stale trivialities.

开会别老讲烂芝麻，挑重点说。

Kāihuì bié lǎo jiǎng lànzhīma, tiāo zhòngdiǎn shuō.

In meetings, quit rehashing trivia — get to the key points.

Tips

usage

Commonly paired as 陈谷子烂芝麻 ("old grain and rotten sesame") — a set-phrase formula for tedious ancient details nobody wants to hear anymore.

Stroke Order

烂 làn

芝 zhī

麻 má