tau1 sik6 m4 maat3 zeoi2偷食唔抹嘴
Definition
To leave behind evidence of one's wrongdoing or illicit behavior; literally, to not wipe one's mouth after sneaking food.
How it's used
This idiom is frequently applied to extramarital affairs or cheating in a relationship, though it works for any situation where someone is caught because they failed to conceal their tracks. It carries a strong sense of irony, highlighting how someone's own arrogance or carelessness leads to their exposure. It is rarely used to describe literal eating, even if the person actually ate something they were not supposed to.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal instruction about hygiene. It is strictly a metaphorical expression for being caught due to poor cover-up, so using it to describe someone who actually forgot to wipe their mouth after a meal will sound confusing or nonsensical to native speakers.
Grammar color guide
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.
