勒緊褲頭

Chinese

		strangle; rein in	tight; nervous; strict	underpants; undershorts
trad. (勒緊褲頭)		勒	緊	褲頭
simp. (勒紧裤头)		勒	紧	裤头
Literally: “to fasten the waist of one's trousers”.

Etymology

An implication of significant underweight and consequently very low waist circumference. This is a figurative way to express someone's state of being financially poor, regardless if the individual is actually underweight as a result of poverty.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): lēijǐn kùtóu

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄟ ㄐㄧㄣˇ ㄎㄨˋ ㄊㄡˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lak⁶ gan² fu³ tau⁴ / laak⁶ gan² fu³ tau⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lēijǐn kùtóu
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄟ ㄐㄧㄣˇ ㄎㄨˋ ㄊㄡˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: leijǐn kùtóu
    • Wade–Giles: lei¹-chin³ kʻu⁴-tʻou²
    • Yale: lēi-jǐn kù-tóu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lheijiin kuhtour
    • Palladius: лэйцзинь кутоу (lɛjczinʹ kutou)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /leɪ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕin²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʰu⁵¹ tʰoʊ̯³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: lak⁶ gan² fu³ tau⁴ / laak⁶ gan² fu³ tau⁴
    • Yale: lahk gán fu tàuh / laahk gán fu tàuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lak⁹ gan² fu³ tau⁴ / laak⁹ gan² fu³ tau⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: leg⁶ gen² fu³ teo⁴ / lag⁶ gen² fu³ teo⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɐk̚² kɐn³⁵ fuː³³ tʰɐu̯²¹/, /laːk̚² kɐn³⁵ fuː³³ tʰɐu̯²¹/

Verb

勒緊⫽褲頭 (verb-object)

1. (idiomatic) to tighten one's belt; to tighten the purse strings; to be more frugal

   由於父親的收入減少，全家人將要勒緊褲頭過活。 [MSC, trad.]
   由于父亲的收入减少，全家人将要勒紧裤头过活。 [MSC, simp.]

   Yóuyú fùqīn de shōurù jiǎnshào, quánjiārén jiāngyào lēijǐn kùtóu guòhuó. [Pinyin]

   Due to reduced income of (our) father, our whole family will need to live at reduced expense.

Usage notes

• This idiom is rarely used literally to express an individual's skinny physique without the implication of poor financial prosperity.

Synonyms

• 勒緊褲帶／勒紧裤带 (lēijǐn kùdài)
• 勒緊褲腰帶／勒紧裤腰带