#365 days 365 idioms

[linghxr]

365 Days of Chengyu Challenge

One year ago on August 31st, 2021, I embarked on an intimidating yet exciting challenge: to learn a new chengyu every day for a year. Well now it’s been a year, and as of yesterday, I have learned 365 new chengyu!

If you look closely, you can see all the chengyu above, from 实事求是 (day 1) to 不了了之 (day 365)!

I prepared extensively for the challenge by pre-making Anki cards and setting them so I would get a new one each day. I got most of chengyu from this book, but when I made my flashcards, I took the definitions and many example sentences from Pleco. Making the cards took soooo much time but was also really crucial to making the challenge happen.

A lot of these chengyu are in my passive memory, not my active memory. But I expected this and am OK with it. My main goal is to be able to understand and recognize these chengyu in reading or listening. Hopefully as I encounter these chengyu naturally over time, I’ll be able to actively use more of them.

I definitely need a break from learning new chengyu—my brain feels stuffed full! But I feel such a strong sense of accomplishment having finished such a gargantuan challenge.

Here are my 36 favorites from this past year—either because I like the meaning or just think they’re fun to say:

坚定不移 jiāndìngbùyí - unswerving / unflinching

脱颖而出 tuōyǐngérchū - to reveal one's talent (idiom) / to rise above others / to distinguish oneself

小心翼翼 xiǎoxīnyìyì - cautious and solemn (idiom); very carefully / prudent / gently and cautiously

不以为然 bùyǐwéirán - not to accept as correct (idiom); to object / to disapprove / to take exception to

无能为力 wúnéngwéilì - impotent (idiom) / powerless / helpless

久而久之 jiǔérjiǔzhī - over time / as time passes / in the fullness of time

一目了然 yīmùliǎorán - obvious at a glance (idiom)

有目共睹 yǒumùgòngdǔ - anyone with eyes can see it (idiom); obvious to all / sth speaks for itself / is there for all to see

不解之缘 bùjiězhīyuán - unbreakable bond

咄咄逼人 duōduōbīrén - overbearing / forceful / aggressive / menacing / imperious

持之以恒 chízhīyǐhéng - to pursue unremittingly (idiom); to persevere

无影无踪 wúyǐngwúzōng - to disappear without trace (idiom)

千里迢迢 qiānlǐtiáotiáo - from distant parts

格格不入 gégébùrù - (idiom) inharmonious / incompatible

囫囵吞枣 húlúntūnzǎo - to swallow in one gulp (idiom) / (fig.) to accept without thinking / to lap up

目不转睛 mùbùzhuǎnjīng - unable to take one's eyes off (idiom); to gaze steadily / to stare

脱口而出 tuōkǒuérchū - to blurt out / to let slip (an indiscreet remark)

眼高手低 yǎngāoshǒudī - to have high standards but little ability / to be fastidious but incompetent (idiom)

别有用心 biéyǒuyòngxīn - to have an ulterior motive (idiom)

马不停蹄 mǎbùtíngtí - unrelenting / without stopping to rest

专心致志 zhuānxīnzhìzhì - with single-hearted devotion (idiom)

泣不成声 qìbùchéngshēng - chocked with sobs

无与伦比 wúyǔlúnbǐ - incomparable

心满意足 xīnmǎnyìzú - perfectly contented (idiom) / perfectly satisfied

训练有素 xùnliànyǒusù - methodically trained

不屑一顾 bùxièyīgù - to disdain as beneath contempt (idiom)

赞不绝口 zànbùjuékǒu - to praise without cease (idiom); praise sb to high heaven

言不由衷 yánbùyóuzhōng - to say sth without meaning it (idiom); to speak tongue in cheek / saying one thing but meaning sth different

荡然无存 dàngránwúcún - to obliterate completely / to vanish from the face of the earth

事半功倍 shìbàngōngbèi - half the work, twice the effect (idiom); the right approach saves effort and leads to better results / a stitch in time saves nine

哑口无言 yǎkǒuwúyán - dumbstruck and unable to reply (idiom); left speechless / at a loss for words

同甘共苦 tónggāngòngkǔ - shared delights and common hardships (idiom); to share life's joys and sorrows / for better or for worse

袖手旁观 xiùshǒupángguān - to watch with folded arms (idiom); to look on without lifting a finger

听天由命 tīngtiānyóumìng - to submit to the will of heaven / to resign oneself to fate / to trust to luck

雪上加霜 xuěshàngjiāshuāng - (idiom) to make matters even worse / to add insult to injury

不了了之 bùliǎoliǎozhī - to settle a matter by leaving it unsettled / to end up with nothing definite

*These definitions are from MDBG. Usually I edit the definitions lightly, but there are too many, so for the most part I’m not going to do that for this post.

See the full chengyu list under the cut:

实事求是 shíshìqiúshì - to seek truth from facts (idiom) / to be practical and realistic

艰苦奋斗 jiānkǔfèndòu - to struggle arduously

千方百计 qiānfāngbǎijì - lit. thousand ways, a hundred plans (idiom); by every possible means

全心全意 quánxīnquányì - heart and soul / wholeheartedly

坚定不移 jiāndìngbùyí - unswerving / unflinching

引人注目 yǐnrénzhùmù - to attract attention / eye-catching / conspicuous

因地制宜 yīndìzhìyí - (idiom) to use methods in line with local circumstances

卓有成效 zhuóyǒuchéngxiào - highly effective / fruitful

当务之急 dāngwùzhījí - top priority job / matter of vital importance

独立自主 dúlìzìzhǔ - independent and autonomous (idiom); self-determination / to act independently / to maintain control over one's own affairs

脱颖而出 tuōyǐngérchū - to reveal one's talent (idiom) / to rise above others / to distinguish oneself

无可奈何 wúkěnàihé - have no way out / have no alternative / abbr. to 無奈｜无奈

自力更生 zìlìgēngshēng - regeneration through one's own effort (idiom) / self-reliance

一如既往 yīrújìwǎng - just as in the past (idiom); as before / continuing as always

坚持不懈 jiānchíbùxiè - to persevere unremittingly (idiom); to keep going until the end

供不应求 gōngbùyìngqiú - supply does not meet demand

行之有效 xíngzhīyǒuxiào - to be effective (idiom)

众所周知 zhòngsuǒzhōuzhī - as everyone knows (idiom)

四面八方 sìmiànbāfāng - in all directions / all around / far and near

兴致勃勃 xìngzhìbóbó - to become exhilarated (idiom); in high spirits / full of zest

一鸣惊人 yīmíngjīngrén - to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat (idiom); an overnight celebrity

千家万户 qiānjiāwànhù - every family (idiom)

见义勇为 jiànyìyǒngwéi - to see what is right and act courageously (idiom, from Analects); to stand up bravely for the truth / acting heroically in a just cause

举世瞩目 jǔshìzhǔmù - to receive worldwide attention

小心翼翼 xiǎoxīnyìyì - cautious and solemn (idiom); very carefully / prudent / gently and cautiously

源远流长 yuányuǎnliúcháng - lit. source is distant and the flow is long (idiom); fig. sth goes back to the dim and distant past / a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then

弄虚作假 nòngxūzuòjiǎ - to practice fraud (idiom); by trickery

自言自语 zìyánzìyǔ - to talk to oneself / to think aloud / to soliloquize

纸上谈兵 zhǐshàngtánbīng - lit. military tactics on paper (idiom) / fig. theoretical discussion that is worse than useless in practice / armchair strategist / idle theorizing / cf Zhao Kuo 趙括｜赵括 leading an army of 400,000 to total annihilation at battle of Changping 長平之戰｜长平之战 in 260 BC

日新月异 rìxīnyuèyì - daily renewal, monthly change (idiom) / every day sees new developments / rapid progress

得天独厚 détiāndúhòu - blessed by heaven (idiom) / enjoying exceptional advantages / favored by nature

情不自禁 qíngbùzìjīn - unable to restrain emotions / cannot help

井井有条 jǐngjǐngyǒutiáo - everything clear and orderly (idiom); neat and tidy

络绎不绝 luòyìbùjué - continuously; in an endless stream (idiom)

不约而同 bùyuēértóng - to agree by chance (idiom); taking the same action without prior consultation

齐心协力 qíxīnxiélì - to work with a common purpose (idiom); to make concerted efforts / to pull together / to work as one

卧薪尝胆 wòxīnchángdǎn - lit. to lie on firewood and taste gall (idiom); fig. suffering patiently, but firmly resolved on revenge

不由自主 bùyóuzìzhǔ - can't help; involuntarily (idiom)

应运而生 yìngyùnérshēng - to emerge to meet a historic destiny (idiom) / to arise at an opportune time / able to take advantage of an opportunity / to rise to the occasion

形形色色 xíngxíngsèsè - all kinds of / all sorts of / every (different) kind of

名列前茅 mínglièqiánmáo - to rank among the best

兴高采烈 xìnggāocǎiliè - happy and excited (idiom) / in high spirits / in great delight

排忧解难 páiyōujiěnàn - to resolve a difficult situation and leave worries behind (idiom)

自强不息 zìqiángbùxī - to strive unremittingly / self-improvement

长治久安 chángzhìjiǔān - long-term peace and stability (of governments)

安居乐业 ānjūlèyè - to live in peace and work happily (idiom)

惊心动魄 jīngxīndòngpò - shaking one to the core / extremely disturbing / hair-raising (idiom)

脚踏实地 jiǎotàshídì - to have one's feet firmly planted on the ground (idiom); realistic without flights of fancy / steady and serious character

徇私舞弊 xùnsīwǔbì - to abuse one's position for personal gain (idiom)

来之不易 láizhībùyì - hard to come by

发扬光大 fāyángguāngdà - to develop and promote / to carry forward / to bring to great height of development

顾全大局 gùquándàjú - to take the big picture into consideration (idiom) / to work for the benefits of all

八仙过海 bāxiānguòhǎi - compete to demonstrate one’s talents (often followed by 各显神通 or 各显其能)

以身作则 yǐshēnzuòzé - to set an example (idiom); to serve as a model

层出不穷 céngchūbùqióng - more and more emerge / innumerable succession / breeding like flies (idiom)

轰轰烈烈 hōnghōnglièliè - strong / vigorous / large-scale

一丝不苟 yīsībùgǒu - not one thread loose (idiom); strictly according to the rules / meticulous / not one hair out of place

刻不容缓 kèbùrónghuǎn - to brook no delay / to demand immediate action

所作所为 suǒzuòsuǒwéi - one's conduct and deeds

后顾之忧 hòugùzhīyōu - fears of trouble in the rear (idiom); family worries (obstructing freedom of action) / worries about the future consequences / often in negative expressions, meaning "no worries about anything"

德才兼备 décáijiānbèi - having both integrity and talent (idiom)

相辅相成 xiāngfǔxiāngchéng - to complement one another (idiom)

讨价还价 tǎojiàhuánjià - to haggle over price / to bargain

同心同德 tóngxīntóngdé - of one mind (idiom)

理直气壮 lǐzhíqìzhuàng - in the right and self-confident (idiom); bold and confident with justice on one's side / to have the courage of one's convictions / just and forceful

身体力行 shēntǐlìxíng - to practice what one preaches (idiom)

义不容辞 yìbùróngcí - not to be shirked without dishonor (idiom) / incumbent / bounden (duty)

画龙点睛 huàlóngdiǎnjīng - to paint a dragon and dot in the eyes (idiom); fig. to add the vital finishing touch / the crucial point that brings the subject to life / a few words to clinch the point

琳琅满目 línlángmǎnmù - glittering jewels to delight the eye (idiom) / fig. a dazzling lineup

耐人寻味 nàirénxúnwèi - thought-provoking / worth thinking over / to provide food for thought

繁荣昌盛 fánróngchāngshèng - glorious and flourishing (idiom); thriving

难能可贵 nánnéngkěguì - rare and precious / valuable / remarkable

不以为然 bùyǐwéirán - not to accept as correct (idiom); to object / to disapprove / to take exception to

刮目相看 guāmùxiāngkàn - to have a whole new level of respect for sb or sth / to sit up and take notice (of sb's improved performance etc)

风风雨雨 fēngfēngyǔyǔ - trials and tribulations / ups and downs

旗帜鲜明 qízhìxiānmíng - to show one's colors / to have a clear-cut stand (idiom)

破釜沉舟 pòfǔchénzhōu - lit. to break the cauldrons and sink the boats (idiom); fig. to cut off one's means of retreat / to burn one's boats

兢兢业业 jīngjīngyèyè - (idiom) conscientious / assiduous

不折不扣 bùzhébùkòu - a hundred percent / to the letter / out-and-out

求同存异 qiútóngcúnyì - to seek common ground, putting differences aside (idiom)

无能为力 wúnéngwéilì - impotent (idiom) / powerless / helpless

一席之地 yīxízhīdì - (acknowledged) place / a role to play / niche

轻而易举 qīngéryìjǔ - easy / with no difficulty

亡羊补牢 wángyángbǔláo - lit. to mend the pen after sheep are lost (idiom) / fig. to act belatedly / better late than never / to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted

默默无闻 mòmòwúwén - obscure and unknown (idiom); an outsider without any reputation / a nobody / an unknown quantity

有声有色 yǒushēngyǒusè - having sound and color (idiom); vivid / dazzling

异军突起 yìjūntūqǐ - to emerge as a new force to be reckoned with (idiom)

喜闻乐见 xǐwénlèjiàn - to love to hear and see (idiom) / well received / to one's liking

任重道远 rènzhòngdàoyuǎn - a heavy load and a long road / fig. to bear heavy responsibilities through a long struggle (cf Confucian Analects, 8.7)

入木三分 rùmùsānfēn - written in a forceful hand / penetrating / profound

意味深长 yìwèishēncháng - profound / significant / meaningful

继往开来 jìwǎngkāilái - to follow the past and herald the future (idiom); part of a historical transition / forming a bridge between earlier and later stages

耳目一新 ěrmùyīxīn - a pleasant change / a breath of fresh air / refreshing

突飞猛进 tūfēiměngjìn - to advance by leaps and bounds

挺身而出 tǐngshēnérchū - to step forward bravely

滔滔不绝 tāotāobùjué - unceasing torrent (idiom) / talking non-stop / gabbling forty to the dozen

再接再厉 zàijiēzàilì - to continue the struggle (idiom); to persist / unremitting efforts

杞人忧天 qǐrényōutiān - man of Qǐ fears the sky falling (idiom); groundless fears

风云变幻 fēngyúnbiànhuàn - changeable situation (idiom)

淋漓尽致 línlíjìnzhì - lit. extreme saturation (idiom) / fig. vividly and thoroughly / in great detail / without restraint / (of a performance) brilliant

直截了当 zhíjiéliǎodàng - direct and plainspoken (idiom); blunt / straightforward

眼花缭乱 yǎnhuāliáoluàn - to be dazzled

不屈不挠 bùqūbùnáo - unyielding / indomitable

语重心长 yǔzhòngxīncháng - meaningful and heartfelt words (idiom); sincere and earnest wishes

栩栩如生 xǔxǔrúshēng - vivid and lifelike (idiom); true to life / realistic

呕心沥血 ǒuxīnlìxuè - lit. to spit out one's heart and spill blood (idiom) / to work one's heart out / blood, sweat and tears

毛遂自荐 máosuìzìjiàn - Mao Sui recommends himself (idiom); to offer one's services (in the style of Mao Sui offering his services to king of Chu 楚 of the Warring states)

方兴未艾 fāngxīngwèiài - flourishing and still in the ascendant (idiom); rapidly expanding / still growing strong / on the up

聚精会神 jùjīnghuìshén - to concentrate one's attention (idiom)

比比皆是 bǐbǐjiēshì - can be found everywhere

高瞻远瞩 gāozhānyuǎnzhǔ - to stand tall and see far (idiom); taking the long and broad view / acute foresight

无动于衷 wúdòngyúzhōng - aloof / indifferent / unconcerned

迫在眉睫 pòzàiméijié - pressing in on one's eyelashes (idiom); imminent

触目惊心 chùmùjīngxīn - lit. shocks the eye, astonishes the heart (idiom); shocking / horrible to see / a ghastly sight

无济于事 wújìyúshì - to no avail / of no use

应有尽有 yīngyǒujìnyǒu - everything that should be here is here (idiom); all one can think of is on hand / to have all one needs

南辕北辙 nányuánběizhé - to act in a way that defeats one's purpose (idiom)

有朝一日 yǒuzhāoyīrì - one day / sometime in the future

大有可为 dàyǒukěwéi - with great prospects for the future (idiom); well worth doing

随心所欲 suíxīnsuǒyù - to follow one's heart's desires / to do as one pleases (idiom)

丰功伟绩 fēnggōngwěijì - glorious achievement (idiom)

取而代之 qǔérdàizhī - to substitute for sb / to remove and replace

根深蒂固 gēnshēndìgù - deep-rooted (problem etc)

久而久之 jiǔérjiǔzhī - over time / as time passes / in the fullness of time

循序渐进 xúnxùjiànjìn - in sequence, step by step (idiom); to make steady progress incrementally

急功近利 jígōngjìnlì - seeking instant benefit (idiom); shortsighted vision, looking only for fast return

始终不渝 shǐzhōngbùyú - unswerving / unflinching

一目了然 yīmùliǎorán - obvious at a glance (idiom)

量力而行 liànglìérxíng - to assess one's capabilities and act accordingly (idiom); to act within one's competence / One does what one can.

浩浩荡荡 hàohàodàngdàng - grandiose / majestic

雨后春笋 yǔhòuchūnsǔn - lit. after rain, the spring bamboo (idiom); fig. rapid new growth / many new things emerge in rapid succession

一举一动 yījǔyīdòng - every movement / each and every move

有目共睹 yǒumùgòngdǔ - anyone with eyes can see it (idiom); obvious to all / sth speaks for itself / is there for all to see

欣欣向荣 xīnxīnxiàngróng - (idiom) flourishing / thriving

三顾茅庐 sāngùmáolú - lit. three humble visits to a thatched cottage / cf famous episode in the fictional Romance of Three Kingdoms 三國演義｜三国演义 in which Liu Bei 劉備｜刘备 recruits Zhuge Liang 諸葛亮｜诸葛亮 (the Hidden Dragon 臥龍｜卧龙) to his cause by visiting him three times

五彩缤纷 wǔcǎibīnfēn - all the colors in profusion (idiom); a garish display

一本正经 yīběnzhèngjīng - in deadly earnest / deadpan

恍然大悟 huǎngrándàwù - to suddenly realize / to suddenly see the light

视而不见 shìérbùjiàn - to turn a blind eye to / to ignore

有条不紊 yǒutiáobùwěn - regular and thorough (idiom); methodically arranged

别开生面 biékāishēngmiàn - to start sth new or original (idiom); to break a new path / to break fresh ground

锲而不舍 qièérbùshě - to chip away at a task and not abandon it (idiom); to chisel away at sth / to persevere / unflagging efforts

全神贯注 quánshénguànzhù - to concentrate one's attention completely (idiom) / with rapt attention

万无一失 wànwúyīshī - surefire; absolutely safe (idiom)

按图索骥 àntúsuǒjì - lit. looking for a fine horse using only a picture (idiom) / fig. to do things along rigid, conventional lines / to try and find sth with the help of a clue

诸如此类 zhūrúcǐlèi - things like this (idiom); and so on / and the rest / etc

精益求精 jīngyìqiújīng - to perfect sth that is already outstanding (idiom); constantly improving

审时度势 shěnshíduóshì - to judge the hour and size up the situation / to take stock

谈何容易 tánhéróngyì - easier said than done (idiom)

大势所趋 dàshìsuǒqū - general trend / irresistible trend

潜移默化 qiányímòhuà - imperceptible influence / to influence secretly

掉以轻心 diàoyǐqīngxīn - treat sth lightly / to lower one's guard

此起彼伏 cǐqǐbǐfú - up here, down there (idiom); to rise and fall in succession / no sooner one subsides, the next arises / repeating continuously / occurring again and again (of applause, fires, waves, protests, conflicts, uprisings etc)

名落孙山 míngluòsūnshān - lit. to fall behind Sun Shan 孫山｜孙山 (who came last in the imperial examination) (idiom) / fig. to fail an exam / to fall behind (in a competition)

引人入胜 yǐnrénrùshèng - to enchant / fascinating

焕然一新 huànrányīxīn - to look completely new (idiom); brand new / changed beyond recognition

一视同仁 yīshìtóngrén - to treat everyone equally favorably (idiom); not to discriminate between people

束手无策 shùshǒuwúcè - lit. to have one's hands bound and be unable to do anything about it (idiom); fig. helpless in the face of a crisis

独来独往 dúláidúwǎng - coming and going alone (idiom); a lone operator / keeping to oneself / unsociable / maverick

与日俱增 yǔrìjùzēng - to increase steadily / to grow with each passing day

拔苗助长 bámiáozhùzhǎng - to spoil things through excessive enthusiasm (idiom)

不可或缺 bùkěhuòquē - necessary / must have

顺理成章 shùnlǐchéngzhāng - logical / only to be expected / rational and clearly structured (of text)

大刀阔斧 dàdāokuòfǔ - bold and decisive

不遗余力 bùyíyúlì - to spare no pains or effort (idiom); to do one's utmost

字里行间 zìlǐhángjiān - between the words and the lines (idiom); implied meaning / connotations

不解之缘 bùjiězhīyuán - unbreakable bond

守株待兔 shǒuzhūdàitù - lit. to guard a tree-stump, waiting for rabbits (idiom) / to wait idly for opportunities / to trust to chance rather than show initiative

百花齐放 bǎihuāqífàng - a hundred flowers bloom (idiom); let the arts have free expression

力不从心 lìbùcóngxīn - less capable than desirable (idiom); not as strong as one would wish / the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak

势在必行 shìzàibìxíng - circumstances require action (idiom); absolutely necessary / imperative

咄咄逼人 duōduōbīrén - overbearing / forceful / aggressive / menacing / imperious

四通八达 sìtōngbādá - roads open in all directions (idiom); accessible from all sides

可歌可泣 kěgēkěqì - lit. you can sing or you can cry (idiom); fig. deeply moving / happy and sad / inspiring and tragic

惊弓之鸟 jīnggōngzhīniǎo - lit. a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow (idiom) / fig. sb who frightens easily, due to past experiences

真心实意 zhēnxīnshíyì - genuine and sincere (idiom) / wholehearted

恰到好处 qiàdàohǎochù - it's just perfect / it's just right

取长补短 qǔchángbǔduǎn - lit. use others' strengths to make up for one's weak points (idiom from Mencius) / to use this in place of that / what you lose on the swings, you win on the roundabouts

本来面目 běnláimiànmù - true colors / true features

脍炙人口 kuàizhìrénkǒu - appealing to the masses / universally appreciated (idiom)

画蛇添足 huàshétiānzú - lit. draw legs on a snake (idiom); fig. to ruin the effect by adding sth superfluous / to overdo it

座无虚席 zuòwúxūxí - lit. a banquet with no empty seats / full house / capacity crowd / standing room only

夜以继日 yèyǐjìrì - night and day (idiom); continuous strenuous effort

持之以恒 chízhīyǐhéng - to pursue unremittingly (idiom); to persevere

针锋相对 zhēnfēngxiāngduì - to oppose each other with equal harshness (idiom); tit for tat / measure for measure

相得益彰 xiāngdéyìzhāng - to bring out the best in each other (idiom) / to complement one another well

念念不忘 niànniànbùwàng - to keep in mind constantly (idiom)

深思熟虑 shēnsīshúlǜ - mature reflection / after careful deliberations

独树一帜 dúshùyīzhì - lit. to fly one's banner on a solitary tree (idiom); fig. to act as a loner / to stand out / to develop one's own school / to have attitude of one's own

东窗事发 dōngchuāngshìfā - (of a plot etc) to be exposed (idiom) / to come to light

铺天盖地 pūtiāngàidì - lit. hiding the sky and covering the earth (idiom); fig. earth-shattering / omnipresent / of universal importance

大张旗鼓 dàzhāngqígǔ - with great fanfare

彬彬有礼 bīnbīnyǒulǐ - refined and courteous / urbane

熙熙攘攘 xīxīrǎngrǎng - bustling with activity (idiom)

无影无踪 wúyǐngwúzōng - to disappear without trace (idiom)

至高无上 zhìgāowúshàng - supreme / paramount / unsurpassed

司空见惯 sīkōngjiànguàn - a common occurrence (idiom)

接二连三 jiēèrliánsān - one after another (idiom) / in quick succession

斩钉截铁 zhǎndīngjiétiě - lit. to chop the nail and slice the iron (idiom) / fig. resolute and decisive / unhesitating / categorical

滥竽充数 lànyúchōngshù - lit. to play the yu 竽 mouth organ to make up numbers (idiom); fig. to make up the numbers with inferior products / to masquerade as having an ability / token member of a group

不择手段 bùzéshǒuduàn - by fair means or foul / by hook or by crook / unscrupulously

津津有味 jīnjīnyǒuwèi - with keen interest (idiom) / with great pleasure / with gusto / eagerly

深入浅出 shēnrùqiǎnchū - to explain a complicated subject matter in simple terms (idiom) / (of language) simple and easy to understand

相提并论 xiāngtíbìnglùn - to discuss two disparate things together (idiom); to mention on equal terms / to place on a par with / (often with negatives: impossible to mention X in the same breath as Y)

深恶痛绝 shēnwùtòngjué - to detest bitterly (idiom) / implacable hatred / to abhor / anathema

不可多得 bùkěduōdé - hard to come by / rare

沸沸扬扬 fèifèiyángyáng - bubbling and gurgling / hubbubing / abuzz

德高望重 dégāowàngzhòng - a person of virtue and prestige / a person of good moral standing and reputation

风尘仆仆 fēngchénpúpú - lit. covered in dust (idiom) / fig. travel-worn

朝三暮四 zhāosānmùsì - lit. say three in the morning but four in the evening (idiom); to change sth that is already settled upon / indecisive / to blow hot and cold

心平气和 xīnpíngqìhé - tranquil and even-tempered (idiom); calmly and without stress

不见经传 bùjiànjīngzhuàn - not found in the classics (idiom); unknown / unfounded / not authoritative

燃眉之急 ránméizhījí - lit. the fire burns one's eyebrows (idiom); fig. desperate situation / extreme emergency

别出心裁 biéchūxīncái - to hit on sth new (idiom); to display originality / to adopt an original approach

不合时宜 bùhéshíyí - out of step with current thinking / outmoded / inappropriate for the occasion

蔚然成风 wèiránchéngfēng - to have become common practice (idiom) / to become a general trend

千辛万苦 qiānxīnwànkǔ - to suffer untold hardships (idiom); trials and tribulations / with difficulty / after some effort

东施效颦 dōngshīxiàopín - lit. Dong Shi imitates Xi Shi's frown (idiom) / fig. to mimick sb's idiosyncrasies but make a fool of oneself

因势利导 yīnshìlìdǎo - to take advantage of the new situation (idiom) / to make the best of new opportunities

千里迢迢 qiānlǐtiáotiáo - from distant parts

格格不入 gégébùrù - (idiom) inharmonious / incompatible

如火如荼 rúhuǒrútú - like wildfire (idiom) / unstoppable

肃然起敬 sùránqǐjìng - to feel deep veneration for sb (idiom)

��长避短 yángchángbìduǎn - to foster strengths and avoid weaknesses (idiom) / to play to one's strengths

蒸蒸日上 zhēngzhēngrìshàng - becoming more prosperous with each passing day

胸有成竹 xiōngyǒuchéngzhú - to plan in advance (idiom) / a card up one's sleeve / forewarned is forearmed

肆无忌惮 sìwújìdàn - absolutely unrestrained / unbridled / without the slightest scruple

囫囵吞枣 húlúntūnzǎo - to swallow in one gulp (idiom) / (fig.) to accept without thinking / to lap up

异乎寻常 yìhūxúncháng - unusual / extraordinary

赏心悦目 shǎngxīnyuèmù - warms the heart and delights the eye (idiom) / pleasing / delightful

古往今来 gǔwǎngjīnlái - since ancient times / since times immemorial

大有作为 dàyǒuzuòwéi - to accomplish much / to have good prospects / to have a promising future

集思广益 jísīguǎngyì - collecting opinions is of wide benefit (idiom); to pool wisdom for mutual benefit / to profit from widespread suggestions

一应俱全 yīyīngjùquán - with everything needed available

不得而知 bùdéérzhī - unknown / unable to find out

天长地久 tiānchángdìjiǔ - enduring while the world lasts (idiom) / eternal

精打细算 jīngdǎxìsuàn - meticulous planning and careful accounting (idiom)

目不转睛 mùbùzhuǎnjīng - unable to take one's eyes off (idiom); to gaze steadily / to stare

车水马龙 chēshuǐmǎlóng - endless stream of horse and carriages (idiom) / heavy traffic

脱口而出 tuōkǒuérchū - to blurt out / to let slip (an indiscreet remark)

生气勃勃 shēngqìbóbó - full of vitality

天经地义 tiānjīngdìyì - lit. heaven's law and earth's principle (idiom); fig. right and proper / right and unalterable / a matter of course

眼高手低 yǎngāoshǒudī - to have high standards but little ability / to be fastidious but incompetent (idiom)

了如指掌 liǎorúzhǐzhǎng - to know sth like the back of one's hand (idiom) / to know (a person, a place etc) inside out

博大精深 bódàjīngshēn - wide-ranging and profound / broad and deep

别有用心 biéyǒuyòngxīn - to have an ulterior motive (idiom)

五光十色 wǔguāngshísè - bright and multicolored / of rich variety / (fig.) dazzling / glitzy

马不停蹄 mǎbùtíngtí - unrelenting / without stopping to rest

别具一格 biéjùyīgé - having a unique or distinctive style

一针见血 yīzhēnjiànxiě - lit. to draw blood on the first prick (idiom) / fig. to hit the nail on the head

草木皆兵 cǎomùjiēbīng - lit. every tree or bush an enemy soldier (idiom); fig. to panic and treat everyone as an enemy / to feel beleaguered

专心致志 zhuānxīnzhìzhì - with single-hearted devotion (idiom)

泣不成声 qìbùchéngshēng - chocked with sobs

无与伦比 wúyǔlúnbǐ - incomparable

素不相识 sùbùxiāngshí - to be total strangers (idiom)

心满意足 xīnmǎnyìzú - perfectly contented (idiom) / perfectly satisfied

训练有素 xùnliànyǒusù - methodically trained

不屑一顾 bùxièyīgù - to disdain as beneath contempt (idiom)

助人为乐 zhùrénwéilè - pleasure from helping others (idiom)

衣食住行 yīshízhùxíng - clothing, food, housing and transport (idiom); people's basic needs

不胜枚举 bùshèngméijǔ - too numerous to mention individually or one by one

赞不绝口 zànbùjuékǒu - to praise without cease (idiom); praise sb to high heaven

大名鼎鼎 dàmíngdǐngdǐng - grand reputation / renowned / famous

如数家珍 rúshǔjiāzhēn - lit. as if enumerating one's family valuables (idiom) / fig. to be very familiar with a matter

古色古香 gǔsègǔxiāng - interesting and appealing (of old locations, objects etc)

推波助澜 tuībōzhùlán - to push the wave and add to the billows (idiom); to add momentum / to encourage sth to get bigger / to add fuel to the fire

光明磊落 guāngmínglěiluò - open and candid (idiom); straightforward and upright

川流不息 chuānliúbùxī - the stream flows without stopping (idiom); unending flow

迎刃而解 yíngrènérjiě - lit. (bamboo) splits when it meets the knife's edge (idiom) / fig. easily solved

对症下药 duìzhèngxiàyào - lit. to prescribe the right medicine for an illness (idiom); fig. to study a problem to find the right way to solve it / to take appropriate steps

热火朝天 rèhuǒcháotiān - in full swing (idiom) / (in a) frenzy / buzzing with activity

言不由衷 yánbùyóuzhōng - to say sth without meaning it (idiom); to speak tongue in cheek / saying one thing but meaning sth different

脱胎换骨 tuōtāihuàngǔ - to shed one's mortal body and exchange one's bones (idiom); born again Daoist / to turn over a new leaf / fig. to change wholly / to create from other material (story, artwork etc)

扬眉吐气 yángméitǔqì - hold one’s head up high

荡然无存 dàngránwúcún - to obliterate completely / to vanish from the face of the earth

叶公好龙 yègōnghàolóng - lit. Lord Ye's passion for dragons (idiom) / fig. to pretend to be fond of sth while actually fearing it / ostensible fondness of sth one really fears

一脉相承 yīmàixiāngchéng - traceable to the same stock (idiom); of a common origin (of trends, ideas etc)

置之不理 zhìzhībùlǐ - to pay no heed to (idiom) / to ignore / to brush aside

身先士卒 shēnxiānshìzú - to fight at the head of one's troops / (fig.) to take the lead

精神抖擞 jīngshéndǒusǒu - spirit trembling with excitement (idiom); in high spirits / lively and full of enthusiasm / full of energy / con brio

侃侃而谈 kǎnkǎnértán - to speak frankly with assurance

千军万马 qiānjūnwànmǎ - magnificent army with thousands of men and horses (idiom); impressive display of manpower / all the King's horses and all the King's men

垂头丧气 chuítóusàngqì - hanging one's head dispiritedly (idiom); dejected / crestfallen

掩耳盗铃 yǎněrdàolíng - lit. to cover one's ears whilst stealing a bell / to deceive oneself / to bury one's head in the sand (idiom)

日复一日 rìfùyīrì - day after day

千载难逢 qiānzǎinánféng - extremely rare (idiom) / once in a blue moon

有的放矢 yǒudìfàngshǐ - lit. to have a target in mind when shooting one's arrows (idiom) / fig. to have a clear objective

未雨绸缪 wèiyǔchóumóu - lit. before it rains, bind around with silk (idiom, from Book of Songs 詩經｜诗经); fig. to plan ahead / to prepare for a rainy day

心安理得 xīnānlǐdé - to have a clear conscience / to have no qualms about sth

一意孤行 yīyìgūxíng - obstinately clinging to one's course (idiom) / willful / one's own way / dogmatic

三令五申 sānlìngwǔshēn - to order again and again (idiom)

依依不舍 yīyībùshě - reluctant to part (idiom); broken-hearted at having to leave

乐不思蜀 lèbùsīshǔ - indulge in pleasure and forget home and duty (idiom)

叹为观止 tànwéiguānzhǐ - (idiom) to gasp in amazement / to acclaim as the peak of perfection

大有人在 dàyǒurénzài - there are plenty of such people

雪中送炭 xuězhōngsòngtàn - lit. to send charcoal in snowy weather (idiom) / fig. to provide help in sb's hour of need

一筹莫展 yīchóumòzhǎn - to be unable to find a solution / to be at wits' end

水泄不通 shuǐxièbùtōng - lit. not one drop can trickle through (idiom); fig. impenetrable (crowd, traffic)

街头巷尾 jiētóuxiàngwěi - top of streets, bottom of alleys (idiom); everywhere in the city

不假思索 bùjiǎsīsuǒ - to act without taking time to think (idiom); to react instantly / to fire from the hip

江郎才尽 jiānglángcáijìn - Jiang Yan has exhausted his talent (idiom) / fig. to have used up one's creative powers / to have writer's block

不相上下 bùxiāngshàngxià - equally matched / about the same

居安思危 jūānsīwēi - to think of danger in times of safety / to be vigilant in peacetime (idiom)

近在咫尺 jìnzàizhǐchǐ - to be almost within reach / to be close at hand

卷土重来 juǎntǔchónglái - lit. to return in a swirl of dust (idiom) / fig. to regroup and come back even stronger / to make a comeback

奄奄一息 yǎnyǎnyīxī - dying / at one's last gasp

事半功倍 shìbàngōngbèi - half the work, twice the effect (idiom); the right approach saves effort and leads to better results / a stitch in time saves nine

不同凡响 bùtóngfánxiǎng - lit. not a common chord (idiom); outstanding / brilliant / out of the common run

井底之蛙 jǐngdǐzhīwā - the frog at the bottom of the well (idiom) / fig. a person of limited outlook and experience

大同小异 dàtóngxiǎoyì - virtually the same / differing only on small points

谈笑风生 tánxiàofēngshēng - to talk cheerfully and wittily / to joke together

哑口无言 yǎkǒuwúyán - dumbstruck and unable to reply (idiom); left speechless / at a loss for words

承前启后 chéngqiánqǐhòu - to follow the past and herald the future (idiom); part of a historical transition / forming a bridge between earlier and later stages

同甘共苦 tónggāngòngkǔ - shared delights and common hardships (idiom); to share life's joys and sorrows / for better or for worse

啼笑皆非 tíxiàojiēfēi - lit. not to know whether to laugh or cry (idiom) / between laughter and tears

死灰复燃 sǐhuīfùrán - lit. ashes burn once more (idiom); fig. sb lost returns to have influence / sth malevolent returns to haunt one

塞翁失马 sàiwēngshīmǎ - lit. the old man lost his horse, but it all turned out for the best (idiom) / fig. a blessing in disguise / it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good

口口声声 kǒukoushēngshēng - to keep on saying (idiom); to repeat over and over again

水落石出 shuǐluòshíchū - as the water recedes, the rocks appear (idiom) / the truth comes to light

我行我素 wǒxíngwǒsù - to continue in one's own way (idiom)

望而却步 wàngérquèbù - to shrink back / to flinch

有血有肉 yǒuxuèyǒuròu - vivid, fleshed out

轻描淡写 qīngmiáodànxiě - (idiom) to treat sth as no big deal / to downplay / to understate

不知轻重 bùzhīqīngzhòng - lit. not knowing what's important (idiom); no appreciation of the gravity of things / naive / doesn't know who's who / no sense of priorities

指鹿为马 zhǐlùwéimǎ - making a deer out to be a horse (idiom); deliberate misrepresentation

设身处地 shèshēnchǔdì - to put oneself in sb else's shoes

天方夜谭 tiānfāngyètán - fantasy story / Arabian Nights

雅俗共赏 yǎsúgòngshǎng - can be enjoyed by scholars and lay-people alike (idiom)

无所适从 wúsuǒshìcóng - not knowing which course to follow (idiom); at a loss what to do

无中生有 wúzhōngshēngyǒu - to create something from nothing (idiom)

流连忘返 liúliánwàngfǎn - to linger / to remain enjoying oneself and forget to go home

不容置疑 bùróngzhìyí - unquestionable

庞然大物 pángrándàwù - huge monster / colossus

黔驴技穷 qiánlǘjìqióng - to exhaust one's limited abilities (idiom)

三三两两 sānsānliǎngliǎng - in twos and threes

发号施令 fāhàoshīlìng - to boss people around (idiom)

心旷神怡 xīnkuàngshényí - lit. heart untroubled, spirit pleased (idiom); carefree and relaxed

雷厉风行 léilìfēngxíng - pass like thunder and move like the wind (idiom); swift and decisive reaction

朝夕相处 zhāoxìxiāngchǔ - together day in and day out

踌躇满志 chóuchúmǎnzhì - enormously proud of one's success (idiom); smug / complacent

金碧辉煌 jīnbìhuīhuáng - gold and jade in glorious splendor (idiom) / fig. a dazzling sight (e.g. royal palace)

同舟共济 tóngzhōugòngjì - cross a river in the same boat (idiom); fig. having common interests / obliged to collaborate towards common goals

志同道合 zhìtóngdàohé - like-minded (idiom) / fellow enthusiast / kindred spirit

唇亡齿寒 chúnwángchǐhán - lit. without the lips, the teeth feel the cold (idiom); fig. intimately interdependent

撕心裂肺 sīxīnlièfèi - sorrowful or pained

袖手旁观 xiùshǒupángguān - to watch with folded arms (idiom); to look on without lifting a finger

豁然开朗 huòránkāilǎng - suddenly opens up to a wide panorama (idiom); to come to a wide clearing / fig. everything becomes clear at once / to achieve speedy enlightenment

诗情画意 shīqínghuàyì - picturesque charm / idyllic appeal / poetic grace

同日而语 tóngrìéryǔ - lit. to speak of two things on the same day (idiom); to mention things on equal terms (often with negatives: you can't mention X at the same time as Y)

曾几何时 céngjǐhéshí - just a while before / not so long ago / everyone can remember when..

高高在上 gāogāozàishàng - set up on high (idiom); not in touch with reality / aloof and remote

一往情深 yīwǎngqíngshēn - deeply attached / devoted

痛心疾首 tòngxīnjíshǒu - bitter and hateful (idiom) / to grieve and lament (over sth)

听天由命 tīngtiānyóumìng - to submit to the will of heaven / to resign oneself to fate / to trust to luck

无时无刻 wúshíwúkè - all the time / incessantly

殚精竭虑 dānjīngjiélǜ - to exhaust one's thoughts and ingenuity (idiom); to think sth through thoroughly / to rack one's brains / to leave no stone unturned

喜气洋洋 xǐqìyángyáng - full of joy (idiom); jubilation

从天而降 cóngtiānérjiàng - lit. to drop from the sky (idiom) / fig. to appear unexpectedly / to arise abruptly / out of the blue / to drop into one's lap

刻舟求剑 kèzhōuqiújiàn - lit. a notch on the side of a boat to locate a sword dropped overboard (idiom); fig. an action made pointless by changed circumstances

一事无成 yīshìwúchéng - to have achieved nothing / to be a total failure / to get nowhere

苦口婆心 kǔkǒupóxīn - earnest and well-meaning advice (idiom); to persuade patiently

雪上加霜 xuěshàngjiāshuāng - (idiom) to make matters even worse / to add insult to injury

今非昔比 jīnfēixībǐ - things are very different now (idiom) / times have changed

美中不足 měizhōngbùzú - everything is fine except for one small defect (idiom); the fly in the ointment

不了了之 bùliǎoliǎozhī - to settle a matter by leaving it unsettled / to end up with nothing definite

[hufflepufflinguist]

177/365 no zero days in 2023 langblr challenge

I got a few new books from the library.

--------------------------------------

Spanish:

-read a few pages in La Casa de Los Espíritus

-learned some idioms

Catalan:

-about 15 min of exercises

-learned some LGBTQIA+ terms

[learnandgrow]

365 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 – 365 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟑𝟒 – 𝐈𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐦 𝟑𝟒 – 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cagauravmittal_idioms-365days365learnings-welearnwesharewecreatevalue-activity-6762767358529482752-73UI

[cheri-translates]

[CN] April Fool’s Moments - Victor

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for Moments which have not been released in English servers! 🍒

Spend April Fool’s with: Gavin l Kiro l Lucien l Shaw

[ MOMENTS: First ]

Victor’s Post: When faced with an unknown object, the best way to deal with it is levelheadedness.

MC: Got it. I hope that the next time you see my report, you can be levelheaded too.

Victor: My “levelheadedness” doesn’t include you.

-

Victor’s Post: When faced with an unknown object, the best way to deal with it is levelheadedness.

MC: As expected of CEO Victor who remains calm in all situations!

Victor: You’re the one who makes a fuss out of nothing.

-

Victor’s Post: When faced with an unknown object, the best way to deal with it is levelheadedness.

MC: That's not what you said when you reached into the box earlier...

Victor: ...I was playing along with you.

-

[ MOMENTS: Second ]

Victor’s Post: A certain someone’s ability to pull pranks is on another level.

MC: It’s so rare to see you with such a gloomy expression. Buying this toy was worthwhile!

Victor: ...my gloomy expression was towards you for laughing in such a silly manner.

-

Victor’s Post: A certain someone’s ability to pull pranks is on another level.

MC: It’s meant to help CEO Victor relax at work.

Victor: Seems to me like you’re the one who wants to relax.

-

Victor’s Post: A certain someone’s ability to pull pranks is on another level.

MC: Even adults have to celebrate April Fool’s Day!

Victor: In the 365 days of the year, when are you not celebrating it?

-

Easy to Distinguish Truth from Lies

His roasts are fake, but the upward tug on his lips is real.

[Trivia] The title of this is really cute because it’s a twist on an idiom. The original idiom is “真假难辨”, which means “hard to distinguish real from fake”. Here, the title replaces “难” (hard) with “易” (easy)!

Unexpected Interlude

You wanted him to take the bait, but when meeting his indulgent gaze, you silently raise a white flag in your heart.

Sour and Sweet Counterattack

The pudding with seasoning in it is his counterattack in response to your pranks.

-

[ KARMAS ]

[zahut]

“The Welsh language has a unique character which reminds me of the country’s landscapes and history. For example, the Welsh version of describing something as “music to my ears” is “mêl ar fy mysedd,” or “honey on my fingers”. To me that’s so much more poetic and sensual than the English idiom, and it reminds me of Wales’ history of poetry and song, and the fact that living in Wales—with its huge mountains, long beaches and 365-day rain cycle—is often a very sensory experience. There is something ancient about that phrase: when I say it I can almost feel how old the Welsh language is. Perhaps the fact that languages are embodied with so much culture and history is why it feels so poignant to forget them, and so painful.”

— Ellie Mae O’Hagan, Losing My Welsh: What it Feels Like to Forget a Language

[tendaysofrain]

Random Stuff #3:  Peach Blossom Springs--a Place Not of This World (《桃花源記》)

For a Random Stuff post, this is a very long one. Sit tight y'all, it's story time.

In the Taiyuan years of Eastern Jin (1), there once lived a fisherman in the Wuling (2) area. One day, he paddled his way up a stream, eventually forgetting how far he'd ventured.

All of a sudden, the fisherman found himself near some woods consisting entirely of blooming peach trees. Within two-hundred paces of the water, delicate flowers, lush green grass, and fallen peach blossoms carpeted the banks.  Astonished at this sight, the fisherman decided to press on, determined to reach the end of these woods.

Arriving at the source of the stream and the edge of the woods, he found a cave in the side of a mountain.  A light beckoned at the end of the tunnel.  The fisherman, now filled with curiosity, abandoned his boat and gingerly entered the tunnel.

At first the passage was narrow and could only fit one person, but after walking for a while, the walls abruptly gave way to the scenery on the other side. Fertile farmland and rows of houses framed by plains spread out before the fisherman, decorated by ponds, mulberry trees, and clusters of bamboo. Little paths fringed the fields, reaching into all corners of the village, while the clucking of chickens and the occasional woofing of dogs formed an audible backdrop. The villagers worked among their crops, dressed in much the same way as everyone outside of this paradise.  There were elders and youngsters as well, and all seemed to enjoy their lives.

The villagers also seemed shocked to see the fisherman, so they asked him where he was from.  The fisherman answered their question, and was promptly welcomed into their homes as a guest, where they prepared a feast for him.  The news of the fisherman’s arrival soon spread, and other villagers who caught wind of this man from the outside came to greet him.

From the conversation the followed, the fisherman soon learned about how these people came to settle in such a secluded place.  Over half a millennia ago, their forebears fled from a war (3) that destroyed much of their hometown.  Eventually the refugees found this paradise, so they settled here with their families and never moved out again.  When the fisherman asked if they knew the current government, the villagers apparently didn’t.  They didn’t even know about the previous dynasties (4), so the fisherman recounted all that came to pass in the past few hundred years:  all the tales, the wars, the changes.  The villagers could only react with sympathetic sighs.

After the conversations and more feasting over the following days, the fisherman finally bid goodbye to the villagers.  Before leaving, the villagers requested him to refrain from telling others about their village.

Unfortunately, the fisherman did not plan to keep the secret.  Upon emerging out of the cave, he found his boat and began rowing back slowly, while marking the way he came.  Once he was back in Wuling, he relayed his discoveries to the mayor.  The mayor immediately ordered some of his men to follow the fisherman back to the village.  However, they could not find the marks left by the fisherman, and soon became lost.

Nevertheless, the rumors of the “Peach Blossom Springs” circulated far and wide.  A hermit in Nanyang (5) by the name of Liu Ziji (6) heard the rumor, and came to search for this place.  The hermit failed, and died soon after.  Since then, no one has tried to find the place again.

(Notes and Interpretations/Background below)

—————————-

Notes:

Taiyuan years of Eastern Jin:  376-396 AD.

Wuling (武陵):  a city during Eastern Jin dynasty.  Around the same place as Changde, Hunan (湖南常德) today.

Over half a millennia ago; war:  refers to the Warring States era before Qin dynasty was established, or ~5th century BCE to 221 BCE.

Previous dynasties:  refers to Han dynasty, Wei dynasty (including the Three Kingdoms era).

Nanyang (南陽):  a city during Eastern Jin dynasty.  The city still exists today under the same name.

Liu Ziji (劉子驥):  a real person who lived during Eastern Jin era; his birth name was Liu Linzhi (劉驎之), Ziji (子驥) was his courtesy name.  He has an official biography in The Book of Jin (22nd biography under the Hermits chapter).

—————————-

Interpretations and Background:

As you can probably guess from the story itself, the Peach Blossom Springs isn’t a real place.  It’s a story, after all, and it’s the very story where the four-character idiom 世外桃源 (meaning “a paradise beyond this world”) originated.  But as stories go, people have different interpretations.

The most well-supported interpretation was somewhat based on the author’s life.  The author of this story was Tao Yuanming (陶淵明, 365-427 AD), and at the time he wrote this story, the country was again in turmoil, people were suffering, and the government wasn’t doing anything to help.  This story was also written as an introduction for his poem of the same title and subject.  The last 2 lines of the poem, however, gave a hint of his motivation:  “The average mortals of this world, how would they know the wonders that lie beyond? / I would rather fly away with the breeze, to search far and wide for my soulmate.” (請問世間凡夫子，可知塵外此奇跡？我願踏乘輕雲去，高飛尋找我知己。)  Thus, the Peach Blossom Springs could be understood as Tao Yuanming’s version of an ideal world, a sort of utopian dream, born of a harsh reality.

The second interpretation was more or less the same as the previous one, except it was slightly more morbid.  It proposed that perhaps instead of the Peach Blossom Springs being an utopian dream, it might have been Tao Yuanming’s vision of what the afterlife looked like.

The third interpretation likely came about in the age of the internet, and, the internet being the internet, this interpretation is the darkest of the three.  People theorized that instead of the story being about an utopia, it was all an illusion.  The refugees fleeing the war died, and the Peach Blossom Springs was actually an ancient neglected cemetery where they were buried.  All the villagers the fisherman saw were ghosts.

But, regardless of the interpretations people came up with, there’s one thing that everyone agrees on:  the Peach Blossom Springs is not of this world.

[reluctantrenegade]

365 Day Writing Challenge,  Day 99

Write about an idiom. 

Here’s one: Speak of the devil. 

You know how in Harry Potter, people are afraid to say Voldemort’s name? Always thought that was sort of funny. Like, what did they think was gonna happen? That he was like Bloody Mary and if you stood in front of a mirror and said his name three times he would appear? 

Possibly, yeah. Magic is complicated. I still feel like rebellious kids at Hogwarts would have said Voldemort from time to time, just to cause a stir and show they were edgy. 

But anyway, apparently that sort of thought was a real thing during the 16th-18th century. People had a superstition that if you said the name “the devil”, Real Actual Satan would appear. (You also weren’t supposed to say “God” but possibly not for the same reason.) 

The full phrase is, “Speak of the devil and he will appear.” Now we use it to mean, “Hey, you, you son-of-a-gun, I was just talking about you and here you are.” But back then it literally meant, “Do not speak the name or Satan himself will arrive and I dunno probably poke a big fork in your ass or something.” 

Like You-Know-Who, that’s partly why the devil has so many nicknames. The horned one. Prince of darkness. Et cetera. (We were really hyping him up by trying to avoid his name, huh?) 

Apparently Shakespeare wasn’t scared of no devil, by the way, because the devil is mentioned in a lot of his plays. Not only did he write down the name, but since he was also an actor he probably said it a lot. He was really playing with fire by Renaissance standards. 

Eventually the superstition started to die down, and the phrase became more about the dangers of curiosity about evil or about not gossiping. 

The phrase really lost its street cred when Ozzy Osbourne named an album after it. But it’s still around now, except without the hysteria. 

[kcl-teaches]

365 Writing Challenge

New year, new writers! Here are 365 challenges to take you through each day. The stories don’t need to be long, they don’t need to have continuity, they don’t need to be good. These are all exercises to help you be a better writer; some of them I stole from my former creative writing classes. Have fun with it!

Edit: Please tag me if you do any of the prompts! I want to see your progress :)

1. Write a story about a character after a New Years' Eve party 2. Write a story using only dialogue. No description. Dialogue only. 3. Write a story with absolutely no dialogue. 4. Write a story with no characters. Let your scene tell the story. 5. Write a story in the style of your favorite author 6. Write a story in the style of an author you hate 7. Write a story in first person 8. Write a story in second person 9. Write a story in third person 10. Make a moodboard for your story or one of your characters 11. Make a playlist for your manuscript 12. Reblog writing from 3 other writers. 13. Leave a comment on 3 other writer's pieces. 14. Write a description using all five senses 15. Write a story based on five things you find in your pockets or purse 16. Write a description of what you see outside of your window 17. Put your music player on shuffle, or turn on the radio. Write as long as two songs last, and write according to what you hear. 18. Write a fantasy story 19. Write a sci-fi story 20. Write a story set in a time period before your birth 21. Write a story set in modern times 22. Write a romance story 23. Write a scary story 24. Write a mystery 25. Write about what happened after dark 26. Write about what happened in a storm 27. Free write for 20 minutes. It does not matter what the words on the page are. Do not stop writing for 20 minutes. 28. Write 500 words today. One of them will probably be good 29. Outline a story. Enjoy deviating from that outline later 30. Take a walk and write about something you saw on the walk 31. Take a shower or bath. Write about the idea you got there 32. Write about what happens the day they showed up 33. Write about love 34. Write a story. Don't let any sentence be more than five words. 35. Write a story. Don't let any sentence be less than five words. 36. Write about your favorite smell 37. Write a story set in winter 38. Write a story set in spring 39. Write a story set in autumn 40. Write a story set in summer 41. Write about someone who hurt you 42. Write about someone who made you happy 43. Write a story about where that smell is coming from 44. Drink water. You probably forgot to today. Write about being thirsty 45. Write a story that involves a cat 46. Draw one of your characters. It doesn't matter if you can't draw. They can be a stick figure. Draw them anyway. 47. Write about what your character wore to a funeral 48. Write your character's death 49. Write your character's birth 50. Write about the noise you heard in the middle of the night 51. Take a deep breath. Hold it. Let it out slow. Repeat five times. Write something relaxing 52. Write a story set by the sea 53. Write a story set in the mountains 54. Go back to an old prompt. Repeat it. See which version you like better 55. Write as badly as you possibly can. Break every writing rule. Spell everything wrong. 56. Go back and edit that worst possible writing. Try to make it as polished as you can. 57. Treat yourself because you had to edit terrible writing. Then go back and edit it again and see if you can make it even better. 58. Like 3 other writer's pieces 59. Talk to someone you don't know today, online or in person. Write about something unexpected you learned. 60. Write about someone who made a bad decision 61. Write a story about someone who is not where they belong 62. Look inside of your refrigerator or pantry. Write a story involving three items there. 63. Write a story about an unusual day at work 64. Write about your favorite holiday 65. Write a bad memory. Write it on paper so you can enjoy ripping it to shreds later. 66. Listen to the playlist you made for your manuscript. Write 500 words. 67. Write a story that features the color blue 68. Write about your character's children. Write about why they don't have children. 69. Write about someone who is the opposite gender of you. If you're non-binary, pick a gender to write about. 70. Write about someone of a different sexual orientation than you. 71. Write about someone older than you 72. Write about someone younger than you 73. Write about yourself 74. Write in the style of another writer on tumblr. If you're feeling daring, tag them in it 75. Write a fanfiction 76. Write something original 77. Write about being late for something 78. Write about a volcano 79. Look back at the moodboard you made. Do you still like it? How would you change it? Is it because the character changed or the story changed? Take some notes 80. Eavesdrop on a conversation. Use it in a story. 81. Write about an apology 82. Write about the scent of the earth after rain 83. Eat a snack. Write about being hungry. 84. Describe one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse 85. Look up the definition of a word you don't know. Look up a synonym of a word you do know. 86. Write another 500 words 87. Write another story using only dialogue. Which one did you like better? What did you learn? 88. Write a horror story 89. Write a love story 90. Write a story that has aspects of both 91. Write about what started the whole thing 92. Describe panic 93. Free write for 20 minutes again. Do not stop. I see you looking at tumblr. 20 minutes, no stopping. 94. Did you forget to set your timer? Did someone interrupt you? Do another 15 minutes of free writing. 95. Write about lightning 96. Write about the time when it hurt 97. Write using your opposite hand. If you use a computer, try to type with your eyes closed. 98. Write about why the chicken crossed the road 99. Write about an idiom. 100. Write about reaching a goal 101. Write the first line of a story. Write the last line of a story. Try to connect them 102. Write about being scared 103. Describe something powerful 104. Time is short. Write what happened in under 20 minutes. 105. Go back to another piece you have written. Edit it. Bonus points if you don't cry. 106. Write something that would make your readers cry. Bonus points if it makes you cry. 107. Describe a field of flowers 108. Describe what's hiding in the field 109. Write a piece that English professors would want to analyze. Use as much symbolism as possible. Nothing is real. Everything is a metaphor 110. Write a list of metaphors and similes. 111. From that list, pick your favorite and write a story using it 112. Write about a flood 113. Drink water again. Write about someone forgetting something. 114. Did you remember what you forgot? Spend the day thinking about what else you've forgotten. Write any plot ideas down. 115. Start a dream diary. Keep a notebook by your bed, and write down what you can remember of your dreams when you wake up. 116. Describe what's in your character's bag 117. Write a story set in Paris 118. Write a story about the cliff 119. Write a poem 120. Write a story about a fight 121. Remember that dream diary? Write a story based off of one of the dreams 122. Describe something you would see at the zoo 123. Write about the first day of school 124. Write about the first day of work 125. Write about the last day of work 126. Describe the smell of fall 127. Listen. Write about what you hear 128. Write your character's dream 129. Find a faceclaim for one of your characters 130. Outline a story. 131. Take a walk. Write about whatever you thought of while walking. 132. Write about the first time someone saw a giraffe 133. Write about an extinct animal 134. Describe the sound of bells 135. Write a story set in space 136. Write a story about something soft 137. Describe hands touching 138. Describe what anger looks like 139. Describe what happiness looks like 140. Write what was behind door number one 141. Get a deck of cards and draw a card. Write about the card. 142. Flip a coin. Heads, write about winning. Tails, win about losing. If you don't have a coin handy, write about cheating. 143. Write a story about someone getting caught. 144. Describe fire 145. Go read one page of a book. Write the next page. 146. Find another writer online and send them an ask about their story or characters 147. Get up and stretch. Write about why someone's joints ache. 148. Write about anticipation. 149. Find another writer online and comment on their work. Make their day. 150. Describe the feeling of disappointment 151. Are you still keeping that dream journal? Did I tell you to stop? Write about a dream. 152. Go back to any other prompt and repeat it. And probably drink more water. 153. Write about a mom 154. Describe how you feel when someone you love is near you 155. Write about a cliff 156. Write about your zodiac sign 157. Write about a misunderstanding 158. Describe something underwater 159. Write about your least favorite food 160. Do a chore around the house. Bonus points if it's washing dishes or something equally menial. Think about your manuscript while you do it. Did you get any ideas? 161. Write a story set in Egypt 162. Describe the color red 163. List as many words as you can think of that start with the letter Z. No cheating. Use one of those words in a story. 164. Look into a drawer. Write about what's inside. 165. Write about why someone deleted their social media 166. Describe winter 167. Write about the heat 168. Write what you want to write. Make sure it's at least 500 words. 169. Write about a fairy 170. Describe the feeling right before you fall asleep 171. Drink water. Write about someone's chapped lips. 172. Write about flying 173. Write a story about someone who made a mistake 174. Write about a superhero 175. Describe home 176. Send an anonymous message to someone on tumblr and make it positive. Write about their reaction. (or lack of reaction!) 177. What language have you always wanted to learn? Write about how that language sounds. 178. Write a story about a magician 179. Write a story in first person 180. Write a story in second person 181. Write a story in third person 182. Look back at your first, second, and third person stories. Edit your favorite. 183. Write about a pillow 184. Describe the feeling of pins and needles 185. Write about anxiety 186. Write about someone strong 187. Write about someone weak 188. Have them meet 189. Write about someone who had too much to drink 190. Describe restlessness 191. Free write for 20 minutes 192. Write nothing at all today. Think about your manuscript. 193. Set yourself a new writing goal 194. Write a story without using the word “the” 195. Write a story about a character with no gender 196. Write a story about a character who is asexual 197. Reblog writing from 3 other people. Make sure you leave a comment. 198. Write about a bite 199. Describe New York City 200. This is prompt number 200. Go back to another prompt with the number 2 in it, and repeat it. 201. Write about frustration. 202. Describe the feeling of someone watching you 203. Stretch. Write about someone who exercises too much 204. Drink water. Write about a mermaid. 205. Write about a monster 206. Write a story with a happy ending 207. Write about why someone pops bubble wrap 208. Describe a character's clothing in detail 209. Turn on the radio or shuffle your music. Write a story based on the first song that comes on 210. Write about the moth attracted to the flame 211. Go back to one of the pieces you've written and edit it. Let the red ink flow. 212. Describe someone stepping on a Lego 213. Write a sci-fi story 214. Write a fantasy story 215. Write another story with absolutely no dialogue 216. Write a story about an animal 217. Write someone's surprise party 218. Take a walk. Write about how you got there. 219. Describe a haunted place 220. Write about the grim reaper 221. Write about someone who is not in control 222. Describe how your character breathes 223. Write about snoring 224. Write a funny story. Bonus points if you laugh while writing it 225. Give feedback to another writer. 226. Direct another writer to this prompt list. (Kidding.) Write about someone being self-serving. 227. Free write for 20 minutes. Is it becoming easier yet? 228. Write in five 5 minute increments today. Were you eager to go back to writing? 229. Write a story that takes place in a courtroom. 230. Describe the smell of a tree 231. Write about a werewolf 232. Write another description using all five senses 233. Describe someone salty (Erotica writers, it's your time to shine) 234. Still keeping that dream journal? Write about another dream 235. Write about pain 236. Write a story using as many long words as you possibly can. Make it pretentious. 237. Pick a name that you dislike for no reason. Name a character that, and write a story about them. 238. Kill a character. 239. Save a character. 240. Drink water. Redo another prompt. 241. Your character can no longer say any curse words. What do they say instead? 242. Write a story that has a bad pun in it. 243. Describe a reflection 244. Write a story set somewhere hot 245. Describe your character's scars or tattoos. If they don't have any, give them one. 246. Describe someone else's character. Tag them in it if you feel bold. 247. Write about someone avoiding their past 248. Write a story about someone who does not want to be there 249. Write a story in the form of text messages back and forth 250. Write about a phone call 251. Stretch. Do something you've been putting off doing. 252. Describe your character's hair 253. Write a story in the style of someone who doesn't understand the correct definition of words. Their, there, and they're must all be used incorrectly. To, two, and too, too. Which deer is my dear? Remember, English steals words from everywhere, so it gets confusing. 254. Fix that story. Feels good to edit it, doesn't it? 255. Write a story in the form of twitter posts. 256. Write about someone of a different nationality than you 257. Share a piece of writing 258. Write about unraveling 259. Write about why your phone won't stop ringing 260. Describe lights reflecting on a car window 261. Free write for 20 minutes 262. Write about what you found in your closet 263. Write about what you found under your bed 264. Describe something soft 265. Describe something hard (Erotica writers, here's another free pass) 266. Write about a scandal 267. Like 3 other writer's pieces 268. Drink water. Write 500 words today. 269. Find out something new about a time period you're interested in. Try not to lose yourself in Wikipedia articles. 270. Write about what you found out. 271. Describe a sunset 272. Try to write like an author from your childhood 273. Describe an item in a museum 274. Write badly. Laugh at yourself 275. Stretch. Look up the best stretches for writers. 276. You thought I forgot about the dream diary? Look back at some old dreams 277. Write about a nightmare 278. Write about an exhale 279. Write about someone being saved 280. Write banter between two characters 281. Write fanfiction. Write bad fanfiction—try to make the characters as opposite as possible. 282. Write about joy 283. Describe something sticky (Erotica writers...) 284. Repeat a prompt, but write it from a different perspective. Can be stylistic, or simply from the viewpoint of a different character. 285. Write the beginning of a story 286. Write about why someone killed 287. Describe a character wearing facepaint 288. Write about success 289. Write about failure 290. Write about something that is both 291. Describe what jewelry your character wears 292. Outline a story. 293. Write at least 500 words 294. Boost another writer. Give them encouragement, reblog their writing, leave a comment, send them a prompt. 295. Drink water. Write about the ocean. 296. Describe music 297. Write about someone waiting 298. Write about someone who said the wrong thing 299. Describe someone who appears intimidating, but is actually a cinnamon roll 300. You've reached 300. Redo another prompt that includes the number 3. 301. Write about why someone wears gloves 302. Describe a kiss 303. Write what your character does for their favorite holiday 304. Write about something disgusting 305. Write using slang from another generation. Tubular, dude. 306. Draw your character. No eraser necessary. 307. Take a shower or a bath and plot. 308. Describe the scent of a candle 309. Free write for 20 minutes 310. Go back to your playlist. Pick three songs, and write a story based on those songs. Write for as long as the songs last. 311. Boost another writer. You know the drill by now. 312. Take a deep breath. Take a few more. You are a good writer. You are getting better every day. You can do this. 313. Write about being tired 314. Write about someone who has missed something 315. Describe the sky 316. Write about someone named Oliver 317. Describe what was left after it happened. 318. Write about someone with a lot of money 319. Go back to another prompt. Do it again 320. Write about a bird 321. Write a story that includes the word “plant” 322. Write about a heist 323. Describe the smell of a wedding 324. Write about a mythical creature 325. Write about what's behind door number two. 326. Which door was better, number one, or number two? Think about it. Write about it. 327. Boost another writer. Support the community. 328. Write about gratitude 329. Describe someone who can't get to where they're going 330. Write about the stars 331. Write something about a dystopian future 332. Describe a theater seat 333. Write about a character who cannot sing 334. Describe what your character does when they are bored 335. Go back and edit one of your other prompts. 336. Drink water. Describe what your character goes for when they are thirsty. 337. Write about getting something for free 338. Write about not getting something for free 339. Write your character's worst day ever 340. Ouch. Why don't you make it up to them? Write something good happening. 341. Boost another writer 342. Write about someone who helps another person 343. Finish a task you've been putting off. Does not have to be writing related. 344. Describe hands not touching 345. Write about a bruise 346. Write about the reason why someone stayed 347. Write something that makes you uncomfortable. Delete if afterwards if you need to. 348. Take a deep breath. Relax for 15 minutes. See what happens 349. Write about goals for the next year 350. Write about a Viking 351. Describe the dark just before the dawn 352. Write about the number 29 353. Make a new character 354. Write as badly as you can. Is it getting harder or easier to write badly? 355. Go back to your dream journal. Write about a character who has a repetitive dream 356. Describe what your character wears on a date 357. Describe something green 358. Drink water. Write about an angel 359. Describe someone trying not to be seen 360. Write about someone being discovered 361. Repeat a prompt. Do it better. 362. Write about nearing the end 363. Write the end. The End. Big E. 364. Boost another writer 365. You've made it! Celebrate by sharing some writing.

[easywaylearn]

EASY WAY LEARN Presents, India's one of the best Basic Spoken English courses in just Rs. 99/- for one month. And The Ultimate English Course Get 50% Off (365 Days) To grab this limited period offer. . . Call us now on:- +91 - 8433777867. website:- www.easywaylearn.in . . #englishgrammar #english #learnenglish #englishvocabulary #englishteacher #grammar #vocabulary #englishlearning #englishtips #ielts #englishlanguage #englishclass #studyenglish #learningenglish #speakenglish #toefl #englishcourse #idioms #ingles #esl #englishonline #englishlesson #learning #englishspeaking #englishidioms #easyenglish #aprenderingles #education #s #bhfyp

[doodlewash]

Hi, I’m Jean (originally Gyöngyi) and I am from Romania. I am a passionate illustrator, full of imagination and lots of love for watercolor painting. I work with my cheeky assistant, Felix, a cat I found on the street when he was just a kitten. We make quite the team together: we both love the visual arts, music and nature.

How I Started

Head In The Clouds

Just like every other kid, I was always interested in art and loved experimenting, drawing and painting, not only because it was a fun activity, but because it allowed me to express myself freely. When I was a teenager, I knew I had a passion for the art world, but I still thought I should study something a bit more serious, something that would offer me a real life job.

So I picked up mathematics and computer science as main subjects. Although my personality is quite pragmatic, I often felt numbers and computer science were not for me… and you could see me doodling on the last pages of my notebooks during classes. I finished high school and I felt hopeless, so I decided to follow my heart and study art.

I became a graphic designer student at the local university and I had the opportunity to study multiple subjects, including illustration. After the first few weeks I already knew I fell in love with it, and I started dreaming about my future career as an illustrator.

Sleeping Fox

After graduating university, I started working as a designer and later as an illustrator, but during the course of many years, I would often put aside my illustration projects in favor of graphic design. Why? Because it was a more popular field and everyone was so hyped up about it. I slowly started to feel crushed because I couldn’t express myself as an artist.

Monochrome Forest

I’ve always had a huge hunger for learning new things, exploring art and different mediums. I had lots of illustrations in my mind and I needed to express myself, but even while working as a freelance illustrator, I couldn’t. So I was dreaming about becoming an independent illustrator, where I could express my own ideas and emotions, and create the illustrations that I love.

Forest Adventure

For 10 years I designed vector illustrations and I loved it, but after such a long time I needed a change. I remembered that I always loved watercolors, but found it a very difficult technique to work with. I even created watercolor textures that I added to my vector illustrations so they would look more like watercolor illustrations.

365 Days Of Art Challenge

In 2017 I took a break from digital art and I started to experiment with watercolors. I really loved it, I loved it so much that last year in December I made a brave decision: to complete my 365 days of art challenge with watercolors. So right now I have a whole year ahead of me to express myself, to bring out all the illustrations I’ve been wanting to create and to get better and better at it.

Spring Flowers

Spring Is Here

I’m very happy for this challenge and the progress I’ve made in such a short time, and I am looking forward to seeing where this journey brings me as an artist. Another reason why I love this project so much is because it’s quite difficult… and that challenges me.

Creative Process And Materials

I have a very vivid imagination and often get a clear image about what I want to illustrate next, but sometimes, nothing comes to mind. So I keep browsing photos and materials until I feel inspired. I love to illustrate idioms or surreal things, and anything with a positive or funny message.

Rising

I also love to create botanical illustrations, landscapes, character designs, children illustrations and so on. For sketching I sometimes use reference photos that help me understand the shapes and subject details better, but when it comes to children illustrations, I often draw from memory.

Tuscany

Once I am happy with the sketch, I trace it (I’m quite old fashioned and use my window for this) on watercolor paper and start painting. While sketching I need silence, but when I paint I love to listen to calm/relaxing music.

Usually, I paint the first layer with simple colors, then work on the second layer where I add more colors, follow up with darker tones, shadows and finally the black layer. I love to use gouache or acrylic for white parts or highlights, and sometimes watercolor pencils for details. I scan the finished painting and adjust the colors, and edit if necessary before publishing.

Winter

I use the Schmincke Horadam watercolor tubes to paint, and most of the time, Canson Aquarelle 300 gsm cold press watercolor paper. I love to use watercolor pencils too, mine are from Raffine Aquarelle. The brushes are all different, but most of them are from Daco and Milan.

Hyacinth

Don’t Forget Your Dreams

While painting for my 365 days of art challenge I often start with something simple, and during the process, I find more and more meaning and inspiration connected to my illustration. So, in the end, it turns into something I haven’t even thought about at first. I love when that happens! I even try to write stories for some of my illustrations.

Conclusion

I decided to film my painting process whenever I can and post it on Youtube. If you are interested in how I create my illustrations, I invite you to check out my channel at the link below. To see all of the illustrations I create for the 365 days of art challenge, you can visit my Instagram link below.

Somewhere Only We Know

I’m very thankful for being featured as a guest artist on Doodlewash, among so many talented artists. Thank you so much Charlie!

Jean Balogh Instagram YouTube Tumblr Facebook Behance

GUEST ARTIST: "Painting In Watercolors: The Passion That Never Stops Growing" by Jean Balogh - #Doodlewash #WorldWatercolorGroup #watercolor #Romania Hi, I’m Jean (originally Gyöngyi) and I am from Romania. I am a passionate illustrator, full of imagination and lots of love for watercolor painting.

[learnandgrow]

365 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 – 365 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟑𝟐 – 𝐈𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐦 𝟑𝟐 – 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐝

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cagauravmittal_idioms-365days365learnings-vocabularybuilding-activity-6762024223142686720-dSrx

[rbzpr]

Syllabaire républicain (Anonymous)

This work on republican pedagogy, often misattributed to Napoléon Landais (who was only born in 1804), was published in Year II of the Republic. Intended for infants, this “syllabary” was intended to teach basic skills (such as reading and counting), as well as republican values to the children of the French Republic. The numerous passages that I left out deal with subjects that are crucial in the education of young children, but would seem rather monotonous to modern readers: letters (both capitals and minuscules), vowels and consonants, word families (connected to topics such as family, animals, food, furniture and utensils), other phrases and idioms, the classical elements, as well as numbers in both Roman and Arabic numerals. Nonetheless, the syllabaire as a whole can offer valuable insights into political culture and republican pedagogy during the Revolution.

Song of Mum or Dad to the Child which will read well.

Tune: La Carmagnole.

If my small Fanfan reads well, bis.

I will refuse nothing to it ; bis.

I will caress it

And then I will make it

Dance the Carmagnole,

To the good sound, bis.

Dance the Carmagnole,

To the good sound of the violin.

Song of the same to the Child which will read badly

Same tune.

But if my Fanfanet reads badly, bis.

Instead of taking it to dance, bis.

I will send it far away,

Only to a small corner,

To dance the Carmagnole,

(Here, a gesture representing the action of the whipping which one gives to the children.)

To the awful sound, bis.

To dance the Carmagnole,

To the awful sound of the violin.

[...]

The Ten Commandments of the French Republic.

French, you will defend your country, In order to live freely.

You will persecute all tyrants, Until beyond Hindustan.

You will support the laws, the virtues, Even, if necessary, with your blood.

You will denounce the traitors, Without the slightest restraint.

You will never give credit To the conversion of a great man.

Like a brother, you will relieve You suffering compatriot.

When you will see yourself as a victor, Be proud, but be compassionate.

You will watch over the affairs, In order to expel the intriguer.

You will sanctify 10 August, In order to love it for ever.

You will pour the goods of the fugitives Over the indigent Sans-culotte.

The Six Commandments of Liberty

You will go to your section, Strictly five in five days.

You will acquaint everything, In order to not sin by being ignorant.

When you will express your view, It shall always be honestly.

You will discuss your interests, [And] those of others equally.

You will never conspire, Remember that the law forbids it.

You will always stand guard, By yourself & rigorously.

Religion

Religion consists of not doing to others what we do not want done to us.

Division of Time

The year, which has 365 days, is divided into twelve months, & five complementary days, called Sans-culottides.

The month is divided into thirty days, or three décades.

The day is ten hours long.

The hour is one hundred minutes long.

And the minute one hundred seconds.

The Months of the Year

AUTUMN.

Vendemiaire, or month of grape harvests.

Brumaire, or month of fog.

Frimaire, or month of frost.

WINTER.

Nivôse, or month of snow.

Pluviôse, or month of rain.

Ventôse, or month of winds.

SPRING.

Germinal, or month of sap.

Floreal, or month of flowers.

Prairial, or month of meadows.

SUMMER.

Messidor, or month of harvests.

Thermidor, or month of heat.

Fructidor, or month of fruits.

Names of the days of the Décade.

Primedi, Duodi, Tridi, Quartidi, Quintidi, Sextidi, Septidi, Octidi, Nonidi, Décadi.

[...]

What forms a Republic.

The Nation or the People.

The primary assemblies.

The Representatives of the People or the National Assembly.

The Executive Power or the Ministers.

The Magistrates of the People.

The Representatives of the Commune.

The Mayor.

The National Agent.

The Civil Tribunals.

The Criminal Tribunals.

The Revolutionary Tribunals.

The Public Prosecutor.

The Generals of the Army.

The Captains.

The Soldiers.

The Citoyens & Citoyennes.

The Children.

Republican Serment.

We promise, as republicans, that we will exterminate all tyrants, all despots who are united against our holy liberty ; that we will carry the formidable level of equality in order to fight everything which will rise above the solemn expression of the general will ; that we will offer the fraternal support of our hands to every oppressed or unjustly persecuted republican ; that we will always be the force of the weak & the counterweights of the powerful, the friends of the indigent citizens, & the implacable enemies of the opulent egotist ; that we will fight and pursue all abuses, impure remains of the monarchy & of a corrupting despotism ; that we will protect the cottages, & overthrow everyone who could disturb liberty ; that, as far as it will lie within our power, no bastille will remain on earth, no tyrant on his throne, no people in shakles ; that, in us, all men will find brothers & all our concitoyens resolute supports of the French republic one & indivisible. WE SWEAR THIS by the immortal rights of man and of the citizen.

Song of the Child to its Dad or to Mum, when it has read well, in response to the first verse.

Tune: Robin ture lure lure.

Dear Dad, give a kiss (1)

To Fanfan for reading.

You have to make it dance,

Ture lure.

Well, support the challenge,

Robin ture lure lure.

(1) If the child addresses its Mum, it has to say: Dear Mum, a kiss.

Source: Syllabaire républicain, pour les enfans du premier âge

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Tunnel Visions

We need to talk about transport tunnel portals.

Ages ago, The Beauty of Transport looked at the Rotherhithe Tunnel, the portals for which feature moulded stonework and a pink granite finish. It was completed in 1908 to the designs of Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice.

Rotherhithe Tunnel portal. Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Just over a century later, in 2011, the Hindhead Tunnel in Surrey opened. It was one of those rare things, a major road scheme with support from environmental groups. The diversion of the London-Portsmouth A3 road away from rare heathland allowed two such areas, previously blighted by the A3, to be reconnected with benefits to the environment (and visitors). But its portals, rather than celebrating this excellent addition to the trunk road network, are, well…

Hindhead Tunnel, northern portal of southbound carriageway. cc-by-sa/2.0 – © Ben Gamble – geograph.org.uk/p/2408078

No pink granite nor moulded stonework here. Just plain, unadorned concrete. Not that there’s anything wrong with plain, unadorned concrete, it’s just that here it’s not doing anything interesting.

But of course it is the railway, rather than the road network, which has been the great tunneller amongst transport modes. Thanks to the railway’s need for shallow gradients and generous curve radii, the railways frequently ended up building heroic tunnels, and they’re still doing it to this day. Perhaps the greatest railway tunnel of recent decades in Britain has been the Channel Tunnel. It is proper, daring, railway engineering, providing a giant social change in the process; a land connection between the Britain and mainland Europe. For some British people it effectively cost Britain its island status (though I think it still is an island, or at least it was the last time I checked). For mainland Europe, the Channel Tunnel provided a firm link to its semi-detached best frenemy, though it hasn’t helped hold the UK within the EU. So how is this world-changing, psyche-shattering transport project marked at its portals?

Embed from Getty Images

With a big flat concrete wall, with two circular holes in it. That’s how. I can’t help thinking that this somehow fails to sell the scale of the endeavour. It wasn’t always this way, though. Once upon time, railway engineers knew how to dress a tunnel portal. I am generally sceptical of articles, transport articles in particular, claiming that things were much better in the olden days. Mostly, they weren’t. But when it comes to tunnel portals, I’m afraid to say that things were, well, much better in the olden days.

One of the earliest great tunnel portals can be found close to London’s Euston station on the West Coast Main Line. Primrose Tunnel opened in 1937 and was designed by William Budden, assistant to George Stephenson, who was too busy building the world’s first long-distance inter-city railway (not the first inter-city railway, note) to worry about tunnel portal design.

Luckily, Budden was up to the task. He created a tunnel portal featuring carved lion masks, rusticated voussoirs, a heavy modillion cornice and vermiculated stone pedestals. Statutory heritage body Historic England notes that this was the first railway tunnel to treat its portals as an architectural set piece. This was not least because local landowners Eton College Estate demanded it. If you know the area at all, you’ll notice one key difference between the picture above, and the current situation. A second tunnel, and portal, was added in 1879, faithfully recreating the details of the earlier one.

Shortly afterward, on the North Midlands Railway in Derbyshire, George Stephenson designed the portals of Clay Cross Tunnel, and the northern portal is particularly notable. This is a common theme with railway tunnels, in which the portal at one end is much grander than the one at the other.

Clay Cross Tunnel, northern portal. Photo by Tony Hawes [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Clay Cross Tunnel’s northern portal was built from 1838-40 and features flanking octagonal towers with castellated tops, and further castellation along the parapet above the tunnel mouths. Charmingly, this little faux castle has little faux arrow slits, though it’s not clear what any archers would have been able to do in the face of an oncoming steam locomotive. It was all part of the early Victorian need to reassure nervous passengers of the safety of the new-fangled railway through dressing it up in markers of historical solidity, or overt Classical grandeur (as at Primrose Tunnel).

Milford Tunnel, also in Derbyshire, also on the North Midland Railway, and of the same vintage as Clay Cross Tunnel, reaches even further back into British history. The northern portal (again; did the North Midland not want southerners to have a nice view?) takes the form of a monumental Romanesque, or Saxon, depending on what sources you’re reading, arch. It’s huge, and wonderfully detailed, with seven rings of differently shaped stones.

Milford Tunnel, northern portal. Photo by RHowarth [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons

George and Robert Stephenson engineered the North Midland, with their assistant Frederick Swanwick, and it is likely that one of the three, or perhaps Francis Thompson (suggests Historic England) designed the portal, though it adds,”this is uncertain.” Historic England suggests the special architectural treatment Milford Tunnel received was merited because, “it faced land owned by the Strutt Family, who were in negotiations with the railway.” It’s not well seen today thanks to the growth of lineside vegetation but it is a truly spectacular construction.

You don’t get very far in a discussion of architecturally significant railway tunnels without mentioning Box Tunnel, opened at more-or-less the same time as Clay Cross and Milford Tunnels. The western portal is by far the most dramatic (the eastern one, however, features in Cold War doomsday scenarios – see this earlier The Beauty of Transport article). Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in a Classical idiom, to reassure and impress nervous passengers, and I rather suspect as a further example of Brunel’s personal brand-building, there’s no doubt that this is one of Britain’s great tunnel portals.

There’s a well-known legend that Box Tunnel was built die-straight on an alignment that allows the rising sun to shine through it on the date of Brunel’s birthday, April 9. This does sound exactly like the sort of thing Brunel would have done, no doubt adding to the currency of the legend, but it is disputed. Thanks to the fact the year isn’t exactly 365 days long, the sun’s position on particular dates isn’t the same from year to year, but current franchisee on the line, GWR, tested the theory on April 9, 2017. Its staff found that the sun did indeed shine directly into the tunnel, but it didn’t shine all the way through. Another example of the fame of Box Tunnel’s western portal is that a miniature recreation of it can be found at Stapleford Miniature Railway in Leicestershire.

Stapleford Miniature Railway’s replica of Box Tunnel’s portal. Photo by Stapleford at English Wikipedia (Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

A year after Box Tunnel opened, one of the most intriguing tunnel portals in the country opened at Clayton Hill in West Sussex, on the London-Brighton Railway. Clayton Tunnel’s northern portal returns to the popular castle theme, although this is a very grand one, with two large octagonal turrets flanking the pointed arch of the tunnel mouth, and retaining walls either side finished with a smaller turret, giving four turrets in all. Poking shyly above the parapet over the tunnel mouth is a small cottage.

Clayton Tunnel, north portal. tristan forward, via Wikimedia Commons

There is some disagreement about the date of its construction: 1849 is often quoted but Historic England’s listing citation insists it dates from the tunnel’s opening in 1841. It remains a private residence, and its occupiers have created a website about it (the cottage occasionally opens for tours). The occupiers claim it as the inspiration for Charles Dickens’ classic railway ghost story The Signalman, though as we’ve seen (in this earlier The Beauty of Transport article), there are other contenders for that honour. Nevertheless, the cottage over the tunnel is a real rarity and along with the decorative portal makes for a wonderful composition.

Bramhope Tunnel, of 1845-49, takes a rather rakish approach to the castellation of tunnel portals. Eschewing the conventional symmetry of most such essays in the genre, Leeds-Thirsk Railway engineer Thomas Grainger instead created a radically asymmetric design.

Bramhope Tunnel north portal. Photo by Linda Spashett Storye book [CC BY 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons

To the left of the tunnel mouth is a large circular tower, while to the right is a smaller octagonal one, giving the whole a very rakish appearance (although Network Rail could do with giving it a bit of attention to sort out the vegetation growing on it and repair the damaged window; unless it has done so since this picture was taken). Hidden by trees are further turrets. The dramatic effect is enhanced by a whopping keystone at the top of the tunnel mouth which features a sculpture of a bearded man’s face, but whose? One possibility is that it is a likeness of the landowner whose property was crossed by the railway. Above the sculpture is a large panel featuring a wheatsheaf, fleece and fish. Like many early railway tunnels, its construction was expensive in terms of the lives of the navvies who built it; their lives, however, were regarded as cheap. Twenty-four of them died, and a memorial in the form of a model of the tunnel can be found in nearby Otley churchyard.

Sutton Tunnel, on the Chester-Manchester line returned to the more familiar symmetrical approach of tunnel portals pretending to be castles. It is notable for the attractive and unusual sunburst arrangement of stones surrounding the actual tunnel mouth.

Sutton Tunnel, south portal. Photo by Philphos [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons

It is, unfortunately, more famous for being the site of a fatal 1851 train crash that once again demonstrated why separating trains by set periods of time, rather than by signalled blocks of track, was a very bad idea. It was all very well allowing a train to depart along a section of track at set intervals of a few minutes, but if one of those trains came to an unexpected halt, there was no way for the driver of the train behind to know, until it was far too late…

By the latter half of the nineteenth century, tunnel portals had moved away from Classical, Saxon/Romanesque and castle allusions. With the railway essentially accepted by society, tunnel portals were allowed to stand on their own merits, though the best ones were still works of art. In London, the Crystal Palace and South London Railway opened a branch line in 1865 to serve the relocated Crystal Palace in Sydenham. Just before the terminus at Crystal Palace High Level station was a short tunnel, which goes by a number of names, though Paxton Tunnel (the name commemorates the architect who designed the Palace itself) seems the most common. Its south portal is a thing of wonder.

Paxton Tunnel, south portal. Photo by ethanlittle [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Constructed of red and cream brick, its colours match those of the Crystal Palace Subway (subject of this earlier The Beauty of Transport article). Its details are exquisite, with the bricks arranged to make a sort of cogwheel pattern around the tunnel mouth, interspersed by large sculpted stones. Flanking pilasters have cream brick sections standing proud of the red bricks. Though the line to Crystal Palace High Level has long since closed, the tunnel portal remains.

As the expansion of the railway network slowed, there simply wasn’t the same number of tunnels to decorate, so inevitably our picturesque tunnel portals tend to date from Victorian times, and reflect Victorian tastes in architecture. At least, they do in Britain. Overseas, examples can be found in much more recent design idioms. Though attractive tunnel portals outside Britain need an article of their own to do the subject justice (I’ll add it to the list…), two American tunnel portals bring the story up to date. The first, opening in 1928 is the Moffat Tunnel in the Rocky Mountains just west of Denver.

Moffat Tunnel, east portal. Photo by Mackpie [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons

Its construction knocked miles off the difficult Rollins Pass through the mountains, which was frequently snowed in. The tunnel’s muscular portals are good examples of Inter-war Modernism. Ventilation in the long tunnel is difficult though – when you go through the tunnel on an Amtrak train, you’re told to keep the windows closed.

Meanwhile, Alaska’s extraordinary Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel sports two portals which would probably be best described as Postmodernist, with structural elements making a pattern of triangles within triangles. The tunnel dates from the 1940s, and started life as a railroad tunnel constructed by the American military. The military eventually pulled out, and the 1960s saw tourist traffic to the town of Whittier increasing, with cars conveyed on flatbed railroad trucks. That sounds perfect to me, but by the 1980/90s the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities wanted to improve car access. After considering several options, it decided on an ambitious plan to convert the railroad tunnel into a hybrid rail/road tunnel, with cars and trains taking turns to use the tunnel. It opened in its new form in the early 2000s. New tunnel portals were designed as part of this conversion process.

Anton Anderson west portal. Photo by Gabor Eszes (UED77) [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY-SA 2.5], from Wikimedia Commons

Their distinctive triangular design, with sloping roofs, stems from a very practical need: withstanding avalanches (of a pressure of 1,000lbs/square foot on the Whittier portal). Because the tunnel is single track width, not only do trains and cars take turns, they do so in each direction. In each hour cars pass through from east to west for 15 minutes, followed by 15 minutes for westbound trains. Then there’s 15 minutes for cars from west to east, and then 15 minutes for eastbound trains. It’s one of the great pieces of unusual transport infrastructure. Actually, why am I just writing about it? Where’s my passport…?

Bibliography and Further Reading

Alaska Department of Transportation history of Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, here, and design features, here

Primrose Tunnel, Historic England listing citation, here

Clay Cross Tunnel, Historic England listing citation, here

Milford Tunnel, Historic England listing citation, here

Box Tunnel, Historic England listing citation, here

Clayton Tunnel, Historic England listing citation, here

Bramhope Tunnel, Historic England listing citation, here

Moffat Tunnel, at American Rails, here

…and anything linked to in the text above.

Source: https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2018/05/16/tunnel-visions/

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