Maotai liquor, a famous brand of sorghum-based spirits (baijiu)

To rank at the top; to be among the highest-ranked candidates. Originally referring to scouts who carried reed flags at the front of a marching army, it is now used to describe academic or competitive success.

Maotai; a famous high-proof spirit produced in the town of Maotai in Guizhou Province, usually distilled from sorghum.

Pen name of Shen Yanbing (1896-1981), a famous Chinese realist novelist.

cogongrass or thatch grass, used as a material for thatching roofs, weaving, and making paper; also known as [[白茅|白茅|bai2 mao2]]

a simple house or cottage with a roof made of straw or reeds

The top ranks or positions in a ranking, such as for examination results or performance; often used in the phrases [[名列前茅|名列前茅|ming2 lie4 qian2 mao2]] or [[位居前茅|位居前茅|wei4 ju1 qian2 mao2]]

Dartmouth, a name for various places and institutions

A famous Daoist mountain in Jiangsu province; the birthplace of the Maoshan sect and home to many historic temples and caves.

Literally meaning "to leave one's thatched hut for the first time," this describes someone who has just entered society or started their career and lacks experience; a novice or greenhorn. Reference is to Zhuge Liang beginning his service to Liu Bei in the [[三国演义|三國演義|san1 guo2 yan3 yi4]].

City and port in southwest England; also the name of various other locations and a former American car brand.

Simao district of Pu'er city, Yunnan; formerly a city itself before being renamed [[普洱市|普洱市|pu3 er3 shi4]] in 2007

to have a sudden flash of insight and understand everything immediately; to be suddenly enlightened after being confused or ignorant

a simple pit or hole in the ground used as a toilet; latrine

a simple cottage or hut with a thatched roof

(colloquial) a toilet or latrine, often in a rural or informal setting

To make earnest and repeated requests for someone to take up a post or help with a cause; literally "to visit the thatched cottage three times," based on the story of [[刘备|劉備|liu2 bei4]] recruiting [[诸葛亮|諸葛亮|zhu1 ge3 liang4]] in the [[三国演义|三國演義|san1 guo2 yan3 yi4]].

simple toilet shed often made of thatch or bamboo; (by extension) any toilet

Mao Yisheng (1896-1989), Chinese structural engineer and social activist

Former name of [[普洱市|普洱市|pu3 er3 shi4]], a prefecture-level city in Yunnan Province

lemongrass; citronella; a tropical grass used in cooking and for producing aromatic oils for perfume and insect repellent

a simple hut or shelter with a roof made of straw or reeds

thatched cottage; humble hut or simple house

golden eye-grass; rhizome of the plant used in traditional Chinese medicine

literally meaning to occupy a latrine without having a bowel movement; used to describe someone who holds a position but does no work or prevents others from using it; to be a dog in the manger

cogongrass; a wild grass with white silky flower spikes and sweet roots used in traditional medicine, brewing, and for making thatch or paper

a pavilion or hut with a roof made of straw or reeds

(bound form) refers to a mountain path being blocked by wild grass, used metaphorically to describe a mind that is ignorant or closed to reasoning

Bournemouth, a town on the south coast of England, United Kingdom

Portsmouth, a seaport in southern England

to be suddenly enlightened; to suddenly understand something after being inspired or guided; literally translated as "suddenly opening a path through the overgrown weeds"

A bamboo fence and a thatched cottage; a simple home or a plain living environment in the countryside.

Dartmouth College, a private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire

moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis), used as timber and for other purposes

Maojian District of Shiyan City, Hubei province

Simao District of [[普洱市|普洱市|pu3 er3 shi4]] city, Yunnan province

(literary) Bundles of thatch grass used in ancient times for filtering dregs from wine during sacrificial offerings; historically noted as a tribute item from the state of Chu.

wild chestnut tree, a small deciduous species with edible nuts often used for firewood

a building made of thatched roofing and earthen steps; used to describe a simple, modest home or a frugal way of life

Maoshan, a mountain range in Jiangsu Province famous for its association with Taoism

cogongrass or lalang grass, a species of perennial rhizomatous grass used in traditional medicine and for thatching

to be positioned at the top of the list or to rank in the leading group

(archaic) to grant land and titles to a feudal lord; to enfeoff

(idiom) literal meaning "earthen steps and a thatched cottage," used to describe extremely simple or frugal living conditions

(idiom) earthen steps and a thatched roof; refers to a very simple or humble dwelling

Literally "to blame the toilet because one is constipated"; used as a proverb to describe someone who blames outside circumstances for problems caused by their own shortcomings.

literally "to pull up a weed and the roots follow"; used to describe situations where one person or action involves many others (such as bringing along associates or friends)

Literally means to pull up grass and have the roots follow; used to describe promoting a person who then brings along their talented associates, or more generally, to describe things that are inextricably linked or involving others

Greymouth, a town in New Zealand.