Reader's question:

“I notice you never drag your feet when we're going to the beach or having a picnic,” Mrs. Lee sighed. “Nor does he drag his heels getting to the dinner table,” Mr. Lee added.

If you drag your feet, you are slow moving because you’re reluctant to do something. In the example above, the Lees had probably just given direction for the person in question to do something he didn’t want to do. He appeared reluctant. Therefore, they sarcastically pointed out that he never drag his feet – he never was slow – when it came to going to the beach or having a picnic, or getting to the dinner table. Sounds like a common Chinese parent’s complaint about a child being lazy or something, hehe.

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Go to Zhang Xin's column

本文仅代表作者本人观点，与本网立场无关。欢迎大家讨论学术问题，尊重他人，禁止人身攻击和发布一切违反国家现行法律法规的内容。

About the author:

Zhang Xin has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in?a future column.