To be eager to recruit talent and treat worthy people with great hospitality; literally refers to the legend of the Duke of Zhou spitting out his food mid-meal to rush and receive guests

(idiom) to be extremely eager to recruit and seek out talented or virtuous people; based on the story of the Duke of Zhou who interrupted his meals and his hair-washing to meet with worthy visitors

to hold one's hair and spit out one's food to avoid missing an audience with a wise person; used to describe a ruler or leader who is extremely eager to recruit and welcome talented people

To stop eating and spit out the food in one's mouth; figuratively describes being so preoccupied with urgent matters or so eager to receive talented guests that one has no time to finish a meal