溜鬚拍馬 liū xū pāi mǎ

to toady; boot-licking

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. to toady
  2. 2. boot-licking
  3. 3. to smooth whiskers and pat a horse's bottom (idiom); to use flatter to get what one wants

Characters

Character Meaning
溜 liū HSK 6
to slip away; to skate; to escape in stealth
鬚 xū
must; to have to; beard
拍 pāi HSK 5
to pat; to clap; to slap
馬 mǎ
horse; surname Ma