断袖之癖

Traditional form:

斷袖之癖

Pinyin (reading):

duànxiùzhīpǐ

Definitions:

• lit. cut sleeve (idiom); fig. euphemism for homosexuality, originating from History of Western Han 漢書／汉书: emperor Han Aidi (real name Liu Xin) was in bed with his lover Dong Xian, and had to attend a court audience that morning. Not wishing to awaken Dong Xian, who was sleeping with his head resting on the emperor's long robe sleeve, Aidi used a knife to cut off the lower half of his sleeve.

Characters:

• 断 - to sever, to cut off, to interrupt
• 袖 - sleeve
• 之 - marks preceding phrase as modifier of following phrase; it, him her, them; to go to
• 癖 - craving, addiction; habit, hobby; indigestion

Traditional characters:

• 斷 - to sever, to cut off, to interrupt
• 袖 - sleeve
• 之 - marks preceding phrase as modifier of following phrase; it, him her, them; to go to
• 癖 - craving, addiction; habit, hobby; indigestion