wu1 jing1 lau1 maa5 mei5烏蠅摟馬尾乌蝇搂马尾

Jyutpingwu1 jing1 lau1 maa5 mei5

Yalewū yīng lāu máh méih

語句

Definition

To break up a joint enterprise or relationship where both parties lose; a complete split.

colloquialpeopleother

How it's used

This is a classic Cantonese riddle phrase where the second half, 一拍兩散, is implied rather than spoken. It carries a sense of finality and mutual destruction, often used when a partnership or negotiation has reached a point of no return. Using the full phrase is unnecessary and would sound unnatural to native speakers.

Examples

gei3既jin4然daai6大gaa1家king1傾m4唔maai4埋，bat1不jyu4如wu1烏jing1蠅lau1摟maa5馬mei5尾laa1啦。

Since we cannot agree, let us just call it quits.

nei5你zoi3再gam3咁joeng2樣mou4無lei5理ceoi2取naau6鬧，zeoi3最hau6後zi2只wui5會wu1烏jing1蠅lau1摟maa5馬mei5尾。

If you keep being unreasonable, we will both end up with nothing.

Common phrases

wu1烏jing1蠅lau1摟maa5馬mei5尾，jat1一paak3拍loeng5兩saan3散

A fly stalking a horse tail, one blow disperses two (the full idiom).

Common mistake

Learners often try to explain the literal meaning of the fly and the horse tail, but this confuses listeners who are only waiting for the punchline. Stick to the idiom as a whole to express the idea of a breakup or failed deal.