zèng​chén​fǔ​yú

stark poverty

Senses

甑尘釜鱼/ 甑塵釜魚 zèng​chén​fǔ​yú stark poverty

Dust in the steamer and fish in the pot; describes living in extreme poverty where one has been unable to cook for a long time. This idiom references the story of Fan Ran in the "Book of the Later Han", whose kitchenware was so neglected that dust collected in the 甑 zèng and silverfish grew in the 釜 fǔ.

References

same_as 破甑生尘/破甑生塵 → 甑尘釜鱼/甑塵釜魚