笑贫不笑娼
Traditional form:
笑貧不笑娼
Pinyin (reading):
xiàopínbùxiàochāng
Definitions:
- the notion in society that it's better to get ahead in the world by abandoning one's scruples than to suffer poverty
- lit. despising poverty but not prostitution (idiom)
Characters:
- 笑 - to smile, to laugh; to giggle; to snicker
- 贫 - poor, needy, impoverished; lacking
- 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
- 笑 - to smile, to laugh; to giggle; to snicker
- 娼 - prostitute, harlot
Traditional characters: