陈谷子烂芝麻 chén gǔ zi làn zhī ma

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. stale grain, overcooked sesame (idiom); fig. the same boring old gossip

CHARACTERS

陈 chén
HSK 6
exhibit, display; plead; a surname
谷 gǔ
HSK 6
valley, gorge, ravine
子 zi
HSK 1
offspring, child; fruit, seed of; 1st terrestrial branch
烂 làn
HSK 5
rotten, spoiled, decayed
芝 zhī sesame; a purplish or brown mushroom thought to have miraculous powers; 'a divine and felicitous plant' (Karlgren)
麻 ma
HSK 4
hemp, jute, flax; sesame