勒緊褲頭

Chinese

		strangle; rein in	tight; nervous; strict	underpants; undershorts
trad. (勒緊褲頭)		勒	緊	褲頭
simp. (勒紧裤头)		勒	紧	裤头

Alternative forms

• 勒緊褲帶

Etymology

Literally "tightly fasten the waistband/belt of the trousers", an implication of significant underweight and consequently very low waist circumference. This is a figurative way to express someone's state of being financially poor, regardless if the individual is actually underweight as a result of poverty.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): lēi jǐn kùtóu

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄟ ㄐㄧㄣˇ ㄎㄨˋ ㄊㄡˊ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lēi jǐn kùtóu
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄟ ㄐㄧㄣˇ ㄎㄨˋ ㄊㄡˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lei jǐn kùtóu
    • Wade–Giles: lei¹ chin³ kʻu⁴-tʻou²
    • Yale: lēi jǐn kù-tóu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lhei jiin kuhtour
    • Palladius: лэй цзинь кутоу (lɛj czinʹ kutou)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /leɪ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕin²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʰu⁵¹ tʰoʊ̯³⁵/

Idiom

勒緊褲頭

1. financial austerity; cost-cutting; consequence or measure of being financially poor

   由於父親的收入減少，全家人將要勒緊褲頭過活。 [MSC, trad.]
   由于父亲的收入减少，全家人将要勒紧裤头过活。 [MSC, simp.]

   Yóuyú fùqīn de shōurù jiǎnshào, quán jiārén jiāngyào lèjǐnkùtóu guòhuó. [Pinyin]

   Due to reduced income of (our) father, our whole family will need to live at reduced expense.

Usage notes

• This idiom is rarely used literally to express an individual's skinny physique without the implication of poor financial prosperity.