口蜜腹剑
- Literal
- honey in the mouth, a sword in the belly
- Figurative
- Someone with honeyed words but a murderous heart; a dangerous hypocrite who flatters to your face while plotting your ruin behind your back.
Where does 口蜜腹剑 come from?
The idiom describes Li Linfu, chancellor under Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty. He was smooth and agreeable in manner, always speaking in sweet, flattering words. In secret, however, he schemed against anyone who might overshadow him, destroying rivals and capable men to keep his grip on power. His contemporaries said he had honey in his mouth and a sword in his belly. His long tenure is remembered as one of the causes that weakened the Tang court on the eve of the An Lushan rebellion.
Source (出处): 《资治通鉴》
How is 口蜜腹剑 used? Two examples
- 他对你那么客气，其实口蜜腹剑，你可要小心。
He's so polite to you, but he's really all honey on the outside and daggers within; you'd better watch out.
- 这种口蜜腹剑的同事最难防。
This kind of two-faced colleague, all sweet talk and hidden knives, is the hardest to protect yourself against.
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