話中有刺 huà zhōng yǒu cì

DEFINITIONS

  1. hidden barbs in one's words
  2. hostile subtext

CHARACTERS

話 huà speech, talk, language; dialect
中 zhōng central; center, middle; in the midst of; hit (target); attain
有 yǒu have, own, possess; exist
刺 cì stab; prick, irritate; prod