zaam2 tau4 zit6 mei5斬頭截尾斩头截尾

Jyutpingzaam2 tau4 zit6 mei5

Yalejáam tàuh jiht méih

Definition

To chop off the head and tail, meaning to get straight to the point or cut out unwanted parts.

colloquialcommunicationdaily actions

How it's used

This idiom is frequently used metaphorically to describe information that has been stripped of its context or essential parts. While it literally refers to cutting, it is most commonly applied to speech, news reports, or stories where the speaker omits the background or the conclusion to create a misleading impression. It carries a slightly critical tone, implying that the resulting information is incomplete or unreliable.

Examples

le1呢pin1篇bou3報dou6道zaam2斬tau4頭zit6截mei5尾，tai2睇jyun4完dou1都m4唔zi1知faat3發sang1生me1咩si6事。

This report is cut and edited, I don't even know what happened after reading it.

nei5你gong2講je5嘢m4唔hou2好zaam2斬tau4頭zit6截mei5尾，gong2講cing1清co2楚seng4成gin2件si6事laa1啦。

Don't leave out the beginning and the end when you speak, explain the whole thing clearly.

Common phrases

zaam2斬tau4頭zit6截mei5尾gam3咁gong2講

to speak in a fragmented or incomplete way

Common mistake

Do not use this to describe physical objects being cut in half, as it is strictly reserved for abstract concepts like information, arguments, or narratives. For physical cutting, use plain verbs like 剪開 or 切開.