zèngchénfǔyú
stark poverty
- stark poverty
- Dust in the steamer and fish in the pot; describes living in extreme poverty where one has been unable to cook for a long time. This idiom references the story of Fan Ran in the "Book of the Later Han", whose kitchenware was so neglected that dust collected in the 甑 zèng and silverfish grew in the 釜 fǔ.
Cross-References
Same as
- 破甑生尘 pòzèngshēngchén