断袖之癖 duàn xiù zhī pǐ

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. cut sleeve (idiom); fig. euphemism for homosexuality, originating from History of Western Han 漢書|汉书: emperor Han Aidi (real name Liu Xin) was in bed with his lover Dong Xian, and had to attend a court audience that morning. Not wishing to awaken Dong Xian, who was sleeping with his head resting on the emperor's long robe sleeve, Aidi used a knife to cut off the lower half of his sleeve.

CHARACTERS

断 duàn sever, cut off; interrupt
袖 xiù sleeve; put something in sleeve
之 zhī marks preceding phrase as modifier of following phrase; it, him her, them; go to
癖 pǐ craving, weakness for; indigestion