Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tremble and obey

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.97 in modern English

Syllables: trem-ble and obey
IPA

24

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

2

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To unthinkingly obey or pander to authorities, especially the Chinese government.

verb

Phrase promulgating a decree of the Chinese imperial government or the early British colonial administration in Hong Kong.

Example Sentences

"The ordinary voter ... feels himself their humble subject, whose duty is, as the Chinese used to say, to “tremble and obey”."
"Never “tremble and obey” if doing so will damage or destroy your business in China."
"... the previous colonial government and the current tremble-and-obey government have helped foster the myth of a historically politically apathetic and selfish society ..."
"Let the good tremble and obey; let them not act so as to have hereafter to repent. A special Proclamation."

Etymology

Calque from Chinese 凜遵／凛遵 (lǐn zūn), a phrase historically used in Chinese imperial edicts.

Inflected Forms

trembles and obeys (present, singular) trembling and obeying (participle, present) trembled and obeyed (participle, past) trembled and obeyed (past)

Questions

What does tremble and obey mean?: To unthinkingly obey or pander to authorities, especially the Chinese government.
Where does tremble and obey come from?: Calque from Chinese 凜遵／凛遵 (lǐn zūn), a phrase historically used in Chinese imperial edicts.

How to pronounce tremble and obey

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