说长论短 to discuss others' strengths and weaknesses
Explanation
指议论别人的好坏是非。
To talk about others' strengths and weaknesses.
Origin Story
村里来了个算命先生，他神神秘秘，喜欢说长论短。老张家娶了个媳妇，算命先生说这媳妇命好，能旺夫家。老李家的小儿子考上了秀才，算命先生又说这孩子聪明伶俐，前程似锦。可算命先生更爱说些让人心里不舒服的话，谁家有点儿小事，他都能添油加醋地说上半天。比如，小赵家盖房子用了些劣质砖，算命先生就说，这房子不结实，早晚要塌。村里人对他议论纷纷，有人觉得他神机妙算，有人觉得他爱说长论短，令人厌烦。
A fortune teller came to the village; he was mysterious and loved to gossip. When the Zhang family married a wife, the fortune teller said that this wife had a good destiny and could prosper her husband's family. The youngest son of the Li family passed the scholar's examination, and the fortune teller said that this child was intelligent and promising. But the fortune teller also loved to say things that made people uncomfortable; no matter what happened in a family, he could exaggerate it for a long time. For example, when the Zhao family built their house with some substandard bricks, the fortune teller said that this house was not strong and would collapse sooner or later. The villagers discussed him, some thought he was very insightful, and others thought he loved to talk about others' strengths and weaknesses and was very annoying.
Usage
常用来形容议论别人的好坏是非。
Often used to describe discussing the strengths and weaknesses of others.
Examples
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别老是说长论短，多做点事吧！
bié lǎoshì shuō cháng lùn duǎn, duō zuò diǎn shì ba!
Don't always gossip; do more work!
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同事之间不要总说长论短，影响工作效率。
tóngshì zhī jiān bùyào zǒng shuō cháng lùn duǎn, yǐngxiǎng gōngzuò xiàolǜ。
Don't always talk about others' strengths and weaknesses among colleagues; it affects work efficiency。