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谁敢横刀立马

誰敢橫刀立馬
shéigǎnhéngdāolìmǎ
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 who dares hold the sword crosswise, astride the horse
  2. 2 (fig.) who has the guts to step up and fight — call for a fearless leader
  3. 3 (lit.) who — dare — crosswise — sword — stand — horse

Examples

危难时刻，谁敢横刀立马，挺身而出？
Wēinàn shíkè, shéi gǎn héng dāo lì mǎ, tǐngshēn ér chū?
In the moment of crisis — who dares take sword in hand and ride forth?
他自比彭大将军，说谁敢横刀立马。
Tā zì bǐ Péng dà jiāngjūn, shuō shéi gǎn héng dāo lì mǎ.
He compared himself to General Peng, saying 'who dares level the sword and mount the horse.'

Tips

history
From 毛泽东《六言诗·给彭德怀同志》 (Mao Zedong, 1935, a six-syllable poem to Peng Dehuai during the Long March): 山高路远坑深，大军纵横驰奔。谁敢横刀立马？唯我彭大将军 (Mountains high, roads long, ravines deep; the grand army races back and forth. Who dares take sword in hand astride his horse? Only my great general Peng). A direct tribute to Peng Dehuai's battlefield courage; the last two lines became one of Mao's most quoted modern couplets.
usage
Canonically answered by 唯我彭大将军. 横刀 = 'holding the blade horizontally,' a ready-for-action stance; 立马 = 'standing the horse,' i.e. holding one's mount firmly in the saddle. Modern use often jokey — 'OK, who's going to step up?'

Stroke Order

谁 shéi
敢 gǎn
横 héng
刀 dāo
立 lì
马 mǎ