含沙射影
- Literal
- sand in the mouth, shooting at the shadow
- Figurative
- To attack or disparage someone through insinuation, without naming them, in a veiled and spiteful way; the phrase itself is a reproach.
Where does 含沙射影 come from?
The image comes from a legendary creature. The 《搜神记》, the collection of marvels compiled by Gan Bao in the Jin dynasty, describes a being called the 蜮 that lived in the Yangtze, held sand in its mouth and shot it at people: anyone it hit came down with fever and pain, and in severe cases died. Other ancient texts added that hitting a person's shadow was enough to make them ill. Hence the idiom: striking from hiding without showing one's face. Today it is applied to someone who makes spiteful insinuations without naming anyone.
Source (出处): 干宝《搜神记》
How is 含沙射影 used? Two examples
- 他在群里发了一段话，含沙射影的，谁都看得出是在说我。
He posted a message full of veiled digs in the group chat; anyone could tell it was aimed at me.
- 有话就当面说，别在会上含沙射影地针对同事。
If you have something to say, say it to their face instead of taking veiled shots at a colleague in meetings.
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