o1 si2 m4 ceot1 laai6 dei6 ngaang6, o1 niu6 m4 ceot1 laai6 fung1 maang5痾屎唔出賴地硬，痾尿唔出賴風猛疴屎唔出赖地硬，疴尿唔出赖风猛
Jyutpingo1 si2 m4 ceot1 laai6 dei6 ngaang6, o1 niu6 m4 ceot1 laai6 fung1 maang5
Yaleō sí m̀h chēut laaih deih ngaang6, ō niuh m̀h chēut laaih fūng máahng
Definition
To make excuses for one's own incompetence instead of taking responsibility; a bad workman blames his tools.
colloquialpeopleslang
How it's used
This idiom uses crude imagery to mock someone who refuses to take accountability for their own incompetence. It is highly colloquial and aggressive, so it should only be used in informal settings among close friends or when you are genuinely frustrated with someone's dishonesty. The full version is rarely spoken in its entirety, as people often shorten it to just 賴地硬 to convey the same meaning.
Related words
Common phrases
to blame the ground for being hard (to blame external factors for one's own failure)
Common mistake
Do not use this in professional or formal environments, as the literal meaning involves bodily functions and is considered vulgar. It is meant to be a sharp insult rather than a polite observation.
Grammar color guide
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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.
