hold one 's breath

hold one 's breath

Chinese idiom, Pinyin is Li ǎ ns è B ǐ ngq ì, which means to put away a smile, hold your breath, to describe being cautious, afraid and not daring. It comes from the epitaph of Prince wailang, a member of the Ministry of war, presented by Jurong county magistrate of Jiangning Prefecture by Ouyang Xiu of Song Dynasty.

Idiom usage

To describe prudence

Analysis of Idioms

Synonym: hold your breath antonym: smiley face

The origin of Idioms

Ouyang Xiu of Song Dynasty wrote the epitaph of Prince wailang, a member of the Ministry of war, presented by the magistrate of Jurong County, Jiangning Prefecture: "all the traitors in the county hold their breath and point out that they should not violate the public law."

Idiom explanation

Put away your smile and hold your breath. It describes being cautious and afraid, not daring to be presumptuous.