刨祖坟

刨祖坟

Literally means:

dig ones ancestor's grave

Actually means:

defy convention

It literally means digging one's ancestor's grave, and figuratively it means one removes the root of something, or defies the tradition. It connotes the speaker's disapproval of such acts. To the Chinese, digging the ancestors' grave, either of one's own ancestors or of others', is an infuriating moral crime against humanity. In ancient China, such an act was severely punished by law. Derogatory .

挖祖宗的坟墓现在比喻挖除老根，或否定传统。含有憎恶这种行为的意思。在中国人的心目，挖祖坟，不管是挖别人的或自家的，都是一中人令人深恶痛绝的，违反人道的犯罪行为。古代曾被政府作为一种严厉的惩罚手段。具有贬义色彩。