游刃有余
- Literal
- the blade moves with room to spare
- Figurative
- To handle something with such command that there is room to spare; doing a job with ease and slack left over, not merely with skill.
Where does 游刃有余 come from?
It comes from the story of Cook Ding in the 《庄子》, the same one behind 庖丁解牛. When Lord Wenhui asks about his skill, Ding explains why his knife never dulls: the ox's joints have gaps, and the edge of the blade has no thickness; put what has no thickness into what has space, and the blade moves freely with room to spare. The idiom comes from that sentence. Where 庖丁解牛 praises mastery of the whole craft, 游刃有余 keeps one detail: the margin left over for someone who has full command of what they do. Today it is praise for handling a task comfortably, with slack to spare.
Source (出处): 《庄子·养生主》
How is 游刃有余 used? Two examples
- 她做了十年会计，处理这种账目游刃有余。
She has been an accountant for ten years, so she handles books like these with room to spare.
- 他以前手忙脚乱，现在一个人带三个孩子也游刃有余。
He used to be run off his feet; now he looks after three kids on his own and still has plenty in reserve.
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