退堂鼓 tuìtánggǔ court-recess drum Origin Definitions Defs Strokes Stroke Words Sentences Sents 打退堂鼓 dǎtuìtánggǔ to give up (idiom) to give up midway; to back out of a commitment; to lose heart and quit敲退堂鼓 qiāotuìtánggǔ to back out literally to beat the drum signaling the end of a court session; to give up halfway or back out of a commitment