东张西望
- Literal
- to look east and gaze west
- Figurative
- To look around distractedly or nervously, glancing this way and that without focusing on what one should be doing.
Where does 东张西望 come from?
It rests on two parallel pairs: 东/西 (east/west) mark the opposite directions and 张/望 (to look/to gaze) the act of glancing, so that the eyes dart from side to side without settling. Its classical use is attested in the Ming-dynasty story collection《喻世明言》(first published as《古今小说》) by Feng Menglong, in the scene where the young woman San Qiao'er, leaning behind the curtain of the upper floor, looks this way and that as she waits for her husband to come home.
Source (出处): 《喻世明言》
How is 东张西望 used? Two examples
- 上课时他总是东张西望，不专心。
In class he is always looking around distractedly, never focused.
- 小偷东张西望，看有没有人注意他。
The thief glanced around nervously to see whether anyone was watching him.
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