咬文嚼字

Pronunciation

Peng'im: ga6 bhung5 ziag4 ri7
POJ: kǎ-bûng-tsiak-jī
Variety: chaozhou

Pronunciation note: Realised [dz] ~ [z] ~ [l] depending on speaker and register; many younger speakers merge it with /l/. The cited sources corroborate [dz], relaxing to [z] for younger/overseas speakers; neither attests the further merger to /l/.

Meanings and usage

idiom: to nitpick over wording, to be overly pedantic about phrasing
咬文嚼字

Usage: idiomatic

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