吹箫乞食

Traditional form:

吹簫乞食

Pinyin (reading):

chuīxiāoqǐshí

Definitions:

• to beg while playing the xiao 簫／箫 (xiāo) (mouth organ)
• cf Wu Zixu 伍子胥 ( Wǔ Zǐxū), destitute refugee from Chu 楚 ( Chǔ), busked in Wu town c. 520 BC, then became a powerful politician

Characters:

• 吹 - to blow, to puff; to brag, to boast
• 箫 - bamboo flute
• 乞 - to beg; to request
• 食 - food; to eat

Traditional characters:

• 吹 - to blow, to puff; to brag, to boast
• 簫 - bamboo flute
• 乞 - to beg; to request
• 食 - food; to eat