添油加醋 (tiān yóu jiā cù) — to embellish a story; to add dramatic or exaggerated details
Definition
A vivid idiom for embellishing a story with extra (and usually untrue) dramatic details, so the original sounds juicier than it was. Always implies exaggeration or distortion, not just neutral storytelling.
idiom
to embellish a storyto add dramatic or exaggerated details
Examples
- 添油加醋，。Tā jiǎng shì qing zǒng xǐ huan tiān yóu jiā cù, nǐ bié quán xìn.He always likes to embellish things when he tells a story — don't believe everything.
- 添油加醋，。Jì zhě zài bào dào zhōng tiān yóu jiā cù, dǎo zhì dú zhě wù jiě le zhēn xiàng.The reporter added spice to the report, causing readers to misunderstand the truth.
- ，添油加醋。Míng míng shì xiǎo shì, tā tiān yóu jiā cù yì shuō jiù chéng le dà xīn wén.It was clearly a small matter, but once she embellished it, it became big news.
Origin
Compound word构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate
Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.
添 and 加 both mean add, while 油 and 醋 are oil and vinegar, giving the idea of adding extra details.
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