gwai2 paak3 hau6 mei5 zam2鬼拍後尾枕鬼拍后尾枕
Jyutpinggwai2 paak3 hau6 mei5 zam2
Yalegwái paak hauh méih jám
Definition
To unintentionally blurt out the truth or reveal a secret, as if prompted by a ghost.
colloquialcommunicationother
How it's used
This idiom describes a situation where someone accidentally blurts out a truth or a secret they intended to keep hidden. It carries a humorous, supernatural implication that the person was compelled to speak by an external force, rather than by their own conscious choice. It is frequently used when someone reveals their own guilt or an embarrassing fact about themselves during a conversation.
Examples
He suddenly had a slip of the tongue and revealed a secret.
Did you have a Freudian slip? Why did you admit to it?
Related words
Common phrases
to blurt something out involuntarily
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a simple mispronunciation or a stutter. It specifically refers to the involuntary disclosure of information that was meant to be concealed.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
