大手大脚

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: dà shǒu dà jiǎo
• English Translation: Big hands and big feet (spending money lavishly)
• Idiom Composition: 「大」（Big or large; here implying a lack of restraint.）＋「手」（Hand; referring to the act of handling or spending money.）＋「大」（Big or large; reinforcing the scale of the action.）＋「脚」（Foot; referring to the pace or scale of one's lifestyle and actions.）
• Meaning: Originally referring to having large hands and feet, this idiom is used metaphorically to describe spending money or using resources without restraint, often implying wastefulness or extravagance.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「大手大脚」 contains the following nuances:

• Wastefulness and Lack of Planning: The idiom often points to a lack of financial discipline, specifically spending money as soon as it is received without considering future needs or current income levels.
• Metaphor for Bold Action: It carries the nuance of doing things on a large, unrestricted scale. It stands in direct contrast to the idiom 小手小脚 (xiǎo shǒu xiǎo jiǎo), which describes someone who is overly cautious, timid, or stingy.

3. Usage

「大手大脚」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Criticizing financial habits: Commonly used by parents toward children or between friends to warn against or criticize wasteful spending.
  • Example:「你刚开始工作，花钱不要大手大脚的，要学会存钱。」
    （You just started working, so don't be so extravagant with your money; you need to learn how to save.)
• Describing personality: Used to describe a person who is naturally bold and not stingy, sometimes as a neutral observation of their character.
  • Example:「他这个人一向大手大脚，请客吃饭从来不看账单。」
    （He has always been lavish; he never even looks at the bill when treating others to dinner.)

Additional Examples:

1. 虽然家里并不富裕，但他买起东西来总是大手大脚。
   （Even though his family isn't wealthy, he is always wasteful when it comes to buying things.）
2. 过日子要精打细算，不能大手大脚。
   （One should live within their means and not spend money like water.）
3. 公司现在的经费很紧张，各部门不能再像以前那样大手大脚了。
   （The company's budget is very tight right now, so departments can no longer be as reckless with spending as they were before.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• This idiom appears in the classic Qing Dynasty novel Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦), Chapter 51, describing servants handling resources on behalf of their masters.
• In Chinese linguistic culture, physical attributes are often used to describe character traits. While 'big hands and feet' might sound like a physical description, it almost always refers to a person's 'broad' and unrestrained way of handling money.
• In modern Chinese society, which traditionally values the virtue of 节俭 (jié jiǎn) or thrift, being described as 大手大脚 (dà shǒu dà jiǎo) is generally a negative critique of one's management skills and self-control.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 挥金如土 (huī jīn rú tǔ): Literally 'throwing gold around like dirt'; describes extreme extravagance and squandering wealth.
  • 铺张浪费 (pū zhāng làng fèi): To be extravagant and wasteful, often for the sake of showing off or vanity.
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 精打细算 (jīng dǎ xì suàn): Meticulous planning and careful accounting to ensure no resources are wasted.link
  • 节衣缩食 (jié yī suō shí): Literally 'economizing on clothes and food'; to live very frugally or to cut back significantly on expenses.link

6. Summary

大手大脚 (dà shǒu dà jiǎo) is a colloquial idiom used to describe someone who is reckless with money or lacks a budget. The imagery of "big hands and feet" suggests movements that are broad and unrestricted, symbolizing a lack of careful calculation or frugality. In daily conversation, it is frequently used to criticize someone's wasteful habits or to warn against overspending.