油腔滑调 yóu qiāng huá diào slick and insincere

Explanation

形容说话轻浮油滑，不诚恳，不严肃。

Describes someone who speaks in a superficial, smooth, and insincere way.

Origin Story

小镇上来了个卖药郎中，他穿着华丽的衣衫，腰间挂着许多药瓶，一路走一路大声吆喝。他走到集市上，便摆开摊位，开始卖他的药。他夸夸其谈，滔滔不绝地介绍他的药如何神奇有效，能治百病，还用油腔滑调的语气承诺，只要买了他的药，包治百病。许多人被他花言巧语迷惑了，纷纷掏钱购买。然而，几天后，许多人发现他的药根本无效，甚至加重了病情，这时他们才意识到自己受骗了，这个卖药郎中油腔滑调的言语不过是虚张声势，最终被赶出了小镇。

xiǎo zhèn shàng lái le ge mài yào láng zhōng, tā chuān zhe huá lì de yī shān, yāo jiān guà zhe xǔ duō yào píng, yī lù zǒu yī lù dà shēng yāo hē. tā zǒu dào jí shì shàng, biàn bǎi kāi tānwèi, kāishǐ mài tā de yào. tā kuā kuā tāo tán, tāo tāo bù jué de jiè shào tā de yào rú hé shén qí yǒu xiào, néng zhì bǎi bìng, hái yòng yóu qiāng huá diào de yǔ qì chéngnuò, zhǐ yào mǎi le tā de yào, bāo zhì bǎi bìng. xǔ duō rén bèi tā huā yán qiǎo yǔ mí huò le, fēn fēn tāo qián gòumǎi. rán'ér, jǐ tiān hòu, xǔ duō rén fāxiàn tā de yào gēn běn wú xiào, shèn zhì jiā zhòng le bìng qíng, zhè shí tāmen cái yìshí dào zìjǐ shòu piàn le, zhège mài yào láng zhōng yóu qiāng huá diào de yán yǔ bìng bù shì xū zhāng shēng shì, zuì zhōng bèi gǎn chū le xiǎo zhèn.

A traveling doctor came to the small town. He was dressed in fine clothes and carried many medicine bottles around his waist. He walked all the way shouting. When he arrived at the market, he set up a stall and started to sell his medicine. He boasted and spoke endlessly about how his magic medicine could cure all diseases. He promised in a slick and insincere way that if you bought his medicine, it would cure all diseases. Many people were deceived by his sweet words and bought his medicine. However, after a few days, many people found that his medicine was useless and even aggravated their condition. They then realized that they had been cheated. The traveling doctor's slick words were just a bluff, and he was finally driven out of town.

Usage

作谓语、定语、宾语；指人说话

zuò wèiyǔ, dìngyǔ, bǐnyǔ; zhǐ rén shuōhuà

As predicate, attributive, object; refers to how someone speaks

Examples

  • 他说话油腔滑调，让人难以相信。

    tā shuōhuà yóu qiāng huá diào, ràng rén nán yǐ xiāngxìn

    He speaks in a slick and insincere way, making it hard to believe him.

  • 那个推销员油腔滑调的，让人很不舒服。

    nàge tuīxiāo yuán yóu qiāng huá diào de, ràng rén hěn bù shūfu

    That salesman was slick and insincere, making people uncomfortable.

  • 他的为人油腔滑调，让人不敢恭维。

    tā de wéirén yóu qiāng huá diào, ràng rén bù gǎn gōngwéi

    His behavior is presumptuous and unflattering

Related Idioms

  • 油嘴滑舌

  • 花言巧语

Opposite Idioms

  • 一本正经

  • 诚恳