口蜜腹劍

See also: 口蜜腹剑

Chinese

mouth; (a measure word, for people, livestock or utensils) honey abdomen; stomach; belly (double-edged) sword
trad. (口蜜腹劍) 口 蜜 腹 劍
simp. (口蜜腹剑) 口 蜜 腹 剑
Literally: “honey from the mouth, a sword from the belly”.

Etymology

First used for describing Li Linfu, a Tang politician:

李林甫為相，尤忌文學之士，或陽與之善，啖以甘言而陰陷之。世謂李林甫「口有蜜，腹有劍。」 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
李林甫为相，尤忌文学之士，或阳与之善，啖以甘言而阴陷之。世谓李林甫「口有蜜，腹有剑。」 [Literary Chinese, simp.]
From: 1084 CE, Sima Guang, Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government
Lǐ Línfǔ wèi xiàng, yóu jì wénxué zhī shì, huò yáng yǔ zhī shàn, dàn yǐ gānyán ér yīn xiàn zhī. Shì wèi Lǐ Línfǔ “kǒu yǒu mì, fù yǒu jiàn.” [Pinyin]
Li Linfu was the Grand Chancellor. He was envious of people with knowledge, pretended to be nice to some, trapping them secretly while enticing them with sweet words. Therefore, it was said Li Linfu's "mouth had honey, his belly having a sword."

Pronunciation

Idiom

口蜜腹劍

  1. sweet words, but a wicked heart

Synonyms

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