mài​gāo​yao

to sell snake oil

Senses

卖膏药/ 賣膏藥 mài​gāo​yao (also mài​gāo​yào) to sell snake oil

to use flowery words to deceive people or palm off low-quality goods, as traveling quacks once did; also written as 卖狗皮膏药 mài​gǒu​pí​gāo​yao

卖膏药/ 賣膏藥 mài​gāo​yao (also mài​gāo​yào) to keep someone in suspense

to be deliberately vague or stop a story at a climax to tease the listener; same as 卖关子 mài​guān​zi

References

variant 卖膏药/賣膏藥 卖狗皮膏药/賣狗皮膏藥
same_as 卖膏药/賣膏藥 卖关子/賣關子