1 lit. to fight it out with sb to see who is best (idiom)
2 fig. to cross swords with
3 to lock horns
三下两下
sān xià liǎng xià
1 quickly and effortlessly (idiom)
上下其手
shàng xià qí shǒu
1 to raise and lower one's hand (idiom); to signal as conspiratorial hint
2 fig. conspiring to defraud
上有天堂,下有苏杭
shàng yǒu tiān táng , xià yǒu Sū Háng
1 lit. there is heaven above, and there is 蘇杭|苏杭[Sū Háng] below (idiom)
2 fig. the beauty and affluence of Suzhou and Hangzhou is comparable with heaven
上有政策,下有对策
shàng yǒu zhèng cè , xià yǒu duì cè
1 The higher ups have policies while the lower downs have their own ways of getting around them. (idiom)
上有老下有小
shàng yǒu lǎo xià yǒu xiǎo
1 lit. above are the elderly, below are the young (idiom)
2 fig. to have to take care of both one's aging parents and one's children
3 sandwich generation
上梁不正下梁歪
shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi
1 lit. If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked (idiom); fig. subordinates imitate their superiors' vices
上气不接下气
shàng qì bù jiē xià qì
1 out of breath (idiom)
2 to gasp for air
上行下效
shàng xíng xià xiào
1 subordinates follow the example of their superiors (idiom)
不愧下学
bù kuì xià xué
1 not ashamed to learn from subordinates (idiom)
不识高低
bù shí gāo dī
1 can't recognize tall or short (idiom); doesn't know what's what
世风日下
shì fēng rì xià
1 public morals are degenerating with each passing day (idiom)
干打雷,不下雨
gān dǎ léi , bù xià yǔ
1 all thunder but no rain (idiom)
2 a lot of noise but no action
人往高处走,水往低处流
rén wǎng gāo chù zǒu , shuǐ wǎng dī chù liú
1 man seeks his way up just as water seeks its way down (idiom)
2 one should constantly strive to make progress
低声细语
dī shēng xì yǔ
1 in a whisper
2 in a low voice (idiom)
低首下心
dī shǒu xià xīn
1 to be fawningly submissive (idiom)
先下手为强
xiān xià shǒu wéi qiáng
1 strike first and gain the upper hand (idiom, martial arts term); Making the first move is an advantage.
兵临城下
bīng lín chéng xià
1 soldiers at the city walls (idiom); fig. at a critical juncture
包打天下
bāo dǎ tiān xià
1 to run everything (idiom); to monopolize the whole business
2 not allow anyone else to have a look in
吴下阿蒙
Wú xià ā Méng
1 General Lü Meng 呂蒙|吕蒙 of the southern state of Wu (idiom); model of self-improvement by diligent study (from unlettered soldier to top strategist of Wu)
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