尺二秀才 — “Two-foot scholar”
尺二秀才 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a derogatory term for a scholar or student who uses vulgar or simplified characters, specifically mocking those who would write the traditional character '盡' as its simplified form '尽', which was metaphorically referred to as '尺二'. It implies a lack of proper classical education, poor penmanship, or superficial learning”. Literally, “Two-foot scholar”.
尺二秀才 Pronunciation and Pinyin
尺二秀才 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 尺二秀才
Origin and Story of 尺二秀才
During the Song Dynasty, Mr. Chengzhai, Yang Gong, was invigilating the provincial examination in Hunan.
One of his colleagues had chosen an interpretation from the 'Book of Changes' as the top-ranking answer. However, Mr. Chengzhai noticed that the character '盡' was written as '尽' on the paper and wanted to reject it or change the ranking.
The examiner, an established scholar, did not permit him to make the change.
Mr. Chengzhai then smiled and said, 'When the results are posted tomorrow, we will have a "Two-foot Scholar" among the top ranks. How will we save face then?'
Idioms Related to 尺二秀才
More idioms starting with 尺
- chǐ尺èr二yuān冤jia家numerous burdensome art patrons
- chǐ尺bīng兵cùn寸tiě铁a very small amount of military strength
- chǐ尺bì壁cùn寸yīn阴Every moment is precious
- chǐ尺cùn寸zhī之gōng功a small contribution or modest achievement
- chǐ尺cùn寸zhī之dì地a tiny plot of land
- chǐ尺cùn寸zhī之bǐng柄trifling amount of power
- chǐ尺cùn寸qiān千lǐ里Vast panorama appears close from a height
- chǐ尺cùn寸kě可qǔ取to have some redeeming qualities
- chǐ尺shān山cùn寸shuǐ水small delicate landscapes
- chǐ尺bù布dǒu斗sù粟family strife over petty interests
- chǐ尺fú幅qiān千lǐ里vast meaning in small space
- chǐ尺fú幅cùn寸jiān缣small work of art
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Open the tool →Questions about 尺二秀才
What does 尺二秀才 mean?
尺二秀才 (chǐ èr xiù cái) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a derogatory term for a scholar or student who uses vulgar or simplified characters, specifically mocking those who would write the traditional character '盡' as its simplified form '尽', which was metaphorically referred to as '尺二'. It implies a lack of proper classical education, poor penmanship, or superficial learning”.
How do you pronounce 尺二秀才?
尺二秀才 is pronounced chǐ èr xiù cái in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 尺二秀才 literally mean?
Literally, 尺二秀才 means “Two-foot scholar”. It is used to mean “a derogatory term for a scholar or student who uses vulgar or simplified characters, specifically mocking those who would write the traditional character '盡' as its simplified form '尽', which was metaphorically referred to as '尺二'. It implies a lack of proper classical education, poor penmanship, or superficial learning”.
Where does 尺二秀才 come from?
尺二秀才 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 尺二秀才?
旧时用以讥讽写俗字的书生。“尺二”即指当时“盡”字的俗体“尽”字。