尋章摘句

寻章摘句
xúnzhāngzhāijù

to cull phrases but not meaning; to write in clichés without originality

Wiktionary

Entry Composition

1 尋 xún
  1. to search
  2. to look for
  3. to seek
=2 章 Zhāng surname Zhang
=2 章 zhāng
  1. chapter
  2. section
  3. clause
  4. movement (of symphony)
  5. seal
  6. badge
  7. regulation
  8. order
=3 摘 zhāi
  1. to take; to pick (flowers, fruit etc); to pluck; to remove; to take off (glasses, hat etc)
  2. to select; to pick out
  3. to borrow money at a time of urgent need
=3 摘 tì
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to harass
  2. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to initiate
  3. to harass
  4. to initiate
=4 句 gōu variant of 勾 gōu
=4 句 jù
  1. sentence
  2. clause
  3. phrase
  4. classifier for phrases or lines of verse
=4 句 gòu
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 彀 (gòu, “to draw a bow”)
  2. a surname
  3. alternative form of 彀 (gòu, “to draw a bow”)
  4. used in 句當／句当, alternative form of 勾當 /勾当
=4 句 qú
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 絇 /𰬆 (jù, “a kind of shoe ornament or decoration”)
  2. alternative form of 絇 /𰬆 (jù, “a kind of shoe ornament or decoration”)