臭坑出臭草

Chinese

		sense of smell; smell bad; stench sense of smell; smell bad; stench; stink; smelly; to smell (bad)	pit; to defraud	to go out; to come out; to occur to go out; to come out; to occur; to produce; to go beyond; to rise; to put forth; to happen; (a measure word for dramas, plays, or operas)	sense of smell; smell bad; stench sense of smell; smell bad; stench; stink; smelly; to smell (bad)	grass; straw; draft (of a document) grass; straw; draft (of a document); careless; rough; manuscript; hasty
trad. (臭坑出臭草)		臭	坑	出	臭	草
simp. #(臭坑出臭草)		臭	坑	出	臭	草
Literally: “smelly grass grows from a smelly ditch”.

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): cau³ haang¹ ceot¹ cau³ cou²

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• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: cau³ haang¹ ceot¹ cau³ cou²
    • Yale: chau hāang chēut chau chóu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsau³ haang¹ tsoet⁷ tsau³ tsou²
    • Guangdong Romanization: ceo³ hang¹ cêd¹ ceo³ cou²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɐu̯³³ haːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ t͡sʰɐu̯³³ t͡sʰou̯³⁵/

Proverb

臭坑出臭草

1. (Cantonese, derogatory) Synonym of 臭罌出臭草／臭罂出臭草 (cau³ aang¹ ceot¹ cau³ cou²)
   • 1996 November 13, Leung Yiu-chung, Official Record of Proceedings (Legislative Council of Hong Kong), page 77:

     主席，正所謂「臭坑出臭草」，由中國政府欽點嘅籌委，而由籌委圈定四百人嘅推委，來來去去都由呢班人嚟提名特首，噉樣，一班參選嘅候選人嘅政綱又點樣可以跳出中國政府所核定嘅框框呢？ [Cantonese, trad.]
     主席，正所谓「臭坑出臭草」，由中国政府钦点嘅筹委，而由筹委圈定四百人嘅推委，来来去去都由呢班人嚟提名特首，噉样，一班参选嘅候选人嘅政纲又点样可以跳出中国政府所核定嘅框框呢？ [Cantonese, simp.]

     zyu² zik⁶, zing³ so² wai⁶ “cau³ haang¹ ceot¹ cau³ cou²”, jau⁴ zung¹ gwok³ zing³ fu² jam¹ dim² ge³ cau⁴ wai¹, ji⁴ jau⁴ cau⁴ wai¹ gyun⁶ ding⁶ sei³ baak³ jan⁴ ge³ teoi¹ wai², loi⁴ loi⁴ heoi³ heoi³ dou¹ jau⁴ ne¹ baan¹ jan⁴ lai⁴ tai⁴ ming⁴ dak⁶ sau², gam² joeng^6-2, jat¹ baan¹ caam¹ syun² ge³ hau⁶ syun² jan⁴ ge³ zing³ gong¹ jau⁶ dim² joeng^6-2 ho² ji⁵ tiu³ ceot¹ zung¹ gwok³ zing³ fu² so² hat⁶ ding⁶ ge³ kwaang¹ kwaang¹ ne¹? [Jyutping]

     Mr President (Andrew Wong), as the saying goes, "foul grass grows out of a foul ditch". The Chinese Government had hand-picked the members of the Preparatory Committee, who then selected the 400 members of the Selection Committee. This same group of people will then nominate candidates for the Chief Executive. Under such an arrangement, how can the candidates' election platforms possibly exceed the limits approved by the Chinese Government? (extracted from official English translated version of the Official Record of Proceedings)