saang1 cung4 gwaai2 zoeng2生蟲拐杖生虫拐杖
Jyutpingsaang1 cung4 gwaai2 zoeng2
Yalesāang chùhng gwáai jéung
Definition
An unreliable person or thing that cannot be leaned on or trusted.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
This idiom vividly depicts a crutch infested with insects, implying that the very tool meant to provide support is structurally compromised and will fail under pressure. It is used to describe people who cannot be trusted to follow through on commitments or objects that are prone to breaking down unexpectedly. The imagery emphasizes a hidden weakness that makes the subject useless when needed most.
Examples
His proposal is like a worm-eaten crutch, completely unreliable.
Ask him for help? He is basically a worm-eaten crutch!
Common phrases
simply unreliable
like a worm-eaten crutch
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with literal descriptions of broken items. It is a metaphorical insult or critique of reliability, so using it for a simple broken object without implying a lack of trust or competence sounds unnatural.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
