打退堂鼓

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Chinese

[edit]
 
beat; strike; break
beat; strike; break; mix up; build; fight; fetch; make; tie up; issue; shoot; calculate; since; from; dozen
drum used at the end of a court hearing
trad. (打退堂鼓) 退堂鼓
simp. #(打退堂鼓) 退堂鼓

Pronunciation

[edit]


Verb

[edit]

打退堂鼓

  1. (historical) to beat the drum before the magistrate withdraws from the court
  2. (figurative) to beat a retreat; to give up halfway