lit. shut the door and beat the dog; to seal off the enemy's escape route before launching an attack to wipe them out

Literally "to look at the master before hitting the dog"; to take into account someone's powerful connections or the face of their superior before acting against them.

to beat a dog and bully its owner; used to describe humiliating someone indirectly by mistreating their subordinate or someone under their protection

poorly written or humorous verse; synonymous with the term for oil-hitting poetry

Literally "to beat a dog, one must first look at its master"; used as a metaphor meaning that before you punish or offend someone, you should consider how it might affect or anger their more powerful associates.

Literally meaning to throw a meat bun at a dog; used to describe a situation where one's money, effort, or even a person goes away and never returns. Often followed by the second half of the pun [[有去无回|有去無回|you3 qu4 wu2 hui2]].