打肿脸充胖子

“打肿脸充胖子”，中文歇后语，字面意思是“slap one's face until it's swollen¹ in an effort to look imposing”，比喻宁可付出代价而硬充作了不起，为撑面子，做一些自己力不能及的事情（try to satisfy one's vanity when one cannot really afford to do so）。

 

例句：

 

他真会打肿了脸充胖子！

He's just making himself look fat by slapping his own face!

 

人家都知道我们快要破产了，何必还打肿脸充胖子。

There's no point in keeping up appearances when everyone knows we're nearly bankrupt.

分享到：