Chinese sayings: 33 (不打自招)

 

不打自招

bù dǎ zì zhāo

“not beat self confess”

This is another saying whose meaning is clear from the literal breakdown:  that one doesn’t have to beat the confession out of the person.

    I once used this saying in my group lesson.  I was pointing out a mistake made by one of them in a homework exercise the previous week.  The intention was for everyone to learn from the mistake, so it wasn’t important to identify the student, i.e., no need to “name and shame”, as the English expression goes.  She then piped up, “That was me!”  I replied with a Chinese phrase for them to learn, “不打自招 / bù dǎ zì zhāo!”  So, she named and shamed herself, haha.

    This reminds me of a joke I heard in the 80s from one of my evening class students Joss about a man who was stopped by the traffic police for suspected drink driving.

    Here’s the conversation between the policeman (P) and the driver (D).

P:  Will you breathe into the breathalyser, please.  

D:  I can’t!

P:  Why not?

D:  I’m asthmatic.

P:  OK, then you need to give a sample of your urine for a urine test.

D:  I can’t!

P:  Why not?

D:  I’m diabetic.

P:  OK, then give a sample of your blood for a blood test.

D:  I can’t!

P:  Why not?

D:  I’m haemophiliac.

P:  In that case, walk along this white line.

D:  I can’t!

P:  Why not?

D:  Because I’m pished*.  

不打自招 / bù dǎ zì zhāo indeed.

PS:

To be pissed = to be drunk in British English, but = annoyed or fed up in American English.

Annoyed or fed up in British English = to be pissed off

(* A reader asked if "pished" is slang for "pissed".  No, the driver was so drunk he couldn't even pronounce "pissed" properly, so he incriminated himself even more.  Doubly 不打自招 / bù dǎ zì zhāo!)