锦囊妙计
- Literal
- brocade bag, clever plan
- Figurative
- A clever plan prepared in advance for just the right moment; today also, often playfully, any trick or tip that fixes everything.
Where does 锦囊妙计 come from?
It comes from Luo Guanzhong's novel 《三国演义》. Sun Quan, lord of Wu, offers Liu Bei his sister's hand as bait to detain him. Before the journey, Zhuge Liang gives Zhao Yun, his escort, three brocade bags with a plan inside each, to be opened only at critical moments. The first makes the wedding public so it can no longer be called off; the second supplies a pretext for leaving Wu; the third, when they are pursued, wins Liu Bei's own wife to their side, and he returns safe, and married. Today the phrase means any plan held back for the right moment, often with a touch of humor.
Source (出处): 罗贯中《三国演义》
How is 锦囊妙计 used? Two examples
- 考试前老师给了我们几条锦囊妙计，果然很管用。
Before the exam, our teacher gave us a few secret weapons, and sure enough they worked.
- 谈判卡住的时候，经理拿出了早就准备好的锦囊妙计。
When the negotiations stalled, the manager pulled out the ace he had been holding up his sleeve all along.
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