调嘴学舌

調嘴學舌

tiáozuǐxuéshé

idiom

Meanings

1 to gossip and stir up trouble
2 to incite trouble between people by tale-bearing

Characters

to tease / work

to imitate / learn

Examples

她最爱调嘴学舌，离她远点。

Tā zuì ài tiáozuǐxuéshé, lí tā yuǎn diǎn.

She loves stirring up gossip — keep your distance.

邻里之间最忌调嘴学舌。

Línlǐ zhī jiān zuì jì tiáozuǐxuéshé.

Among neighbors, tale-bearing is the worst.

Tips

history

Recorded in the Ming-dynasty huaben collection 《清平山堂话本》 (qīngpíngshāntáng huàběn, 'Stories of the Pure Peaceful Hall'), in the tale of 'Quick-Tongued Li Cuilian.' The phrase pairs 调嘴 (working the mouth) with 学舌 (mimicking with the tongue) — both halves point to manipulative talk.

Stroke Order

调 tiáo

嘴 zuǐ

学 xué

舌 shé