shā​jī​hài​hóu

to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys

  1. to kill
    to kill, slay, or murder; to slaughter animals
  2. chicken
    chicken; fowl; bird of the Galliformes order typically raised for its meat or eggs
  3. to shock; to disturb
    (bound form) to startle; to shock; to cause a stir or commotion, as in 惊涛骇浪 jīng​tāo​hài​làng or 骇众 hài​zhòng
  4. monkey
    monkey; generic term for any long-tailed primate smaller than an ape