焦头烂额 burnt head, chapped forehead
Explanation
形容人非常狼狈、窘迫，或忙得不可开交。
Describes someone who is very embarrassed and in trouble, or so busy that they don't know what to do next.
Origin Story
汉宣帝时期，霍光深受皇帝信任，但他的子孙却图谋不轨。事情败露后，霍氏家族被严厉打击。朝臣徐福曾劝谏过汉宣帝，但未被采纳，为此有人上书，讲述了‘曲突徙薪’的故事，批评汉宣帝重赏那些救火的人（指平定霍氏叛乱的功臣），却忘记了那些事先提出警告的人（指徐福）。汉宣帝听后，意识到自己的错误，立即重赏了徐福。这个故事也体现了居安思危的重要性，以及对忠言逆耳的重视。 而焦头烂额则更形象的描述了那些因为忙碌和危机而身心俱疲的人们，如同被大火烧焦了头发和额头一样，形容他们的狼狈不堪，以及事情的紧急性和棘手程度。 想象一下，一位官员，因为处理政务，因为需要应对各种各样的紧急事件，处理各种奏章，处理各种危机，他已经疲惫不堪，几天几夜没有合眼，头发凌乱，额头渗着汗珠，双眼布满血丝，这就是焦头烂额的形象写照。
During the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty, Huo Guang enjoyed the emperor's full trust, but his descendants plotted treacherous acts. After the conspiracy was exposed, the Huo family was severely punished. The court official Xu Fu had previously warned Emperor Xuan, but his warning was ignored. Someone then wrote a report, recounting the story of 'Qu Tu Xi Xin,' criticizing Emperor Xuan for rewarding those who extinguished the fire (referring to the officials who suppressed the Huo family rebellion) but forgetting those who had warned beforehand (referring to Xu Fu). Emperor Xuan realized his mistake and promptly rewarded Xu Fu. This story highlights the importance of recognizing and preparing for danger, as well as the importance of listening to honest, albeit unpleasant, advice. The idiom "焦头烂额 (Jiāo tóu làn é)" vividly describes people exhausted by stress and crises, as if their hair and forehead were burnt by fire. It illustrates their embarrassment and the urgent and difficult nature of the situation.
Usage
用于形容人因忙碌或处境艰难而十分狼狈、窘迫的状态。
Used to describe someone's state of being very embarrassed and in trouble due to being busy or in difficult circumstances.
Examples
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他最近工作太忙，简直是焦头烂额。
tā zuìjìn gōngzuò tài máng, jiǎnzhí shì jiāo tóu làn é
He's been extremely busy with work lately, completely overwhelmed.
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公司面临危机，老板焦头烂额地想办法解决。
gōngsī miànlín wēijī, lǎobǎn jiāo tóu làn é de xiǎng bànfǎ jiějué
The company is facing a crisis, and the boss is frantically trying to find solutions.
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考试前，他因为复习不充分，焦头烂额地准备着。
kǎoshì qián, tā yīnwèi fùxí bù chōngfèn, jiāo tóu làn é de zhǔnbèi zhe
Before the exam, he was stressed and overwhelmed because he hadn't prepared enough.