I heard this from a Hong Kong friend ... ‘死雞撐飯蓋’

Does anyone know what it means? I might have not written it out correctly though; especially the word “撐”.

Someone on the web gave the following translations:
- A futile attempt to deny the very obvious
- A futile attempt to defend the indefensible
- To deny one's wrongdoings in stiff-necked manner

Take a look at this webpage:
http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/viewthread.php?tid=560620

In Taiwanese, it's equivalent to 硬拗、狡辯.
I feel it a good phrase to describe our President.

it's an old cantonese slang, used to describe that one is obstinate or stubborn, especially that one is not willing to admmit he did sth wrong, though his wrongdoing is very obvious. try imagine the following picture：you put a chicken in the pot, but you cant lid the pot just because the chicken's feet pull off the cover. the chicken doesnt want to be cooked though it's dead.

oops, forgot to say that this slang is equivalent to another cantonese slang: 死牛一边颈. anyone can pull a dead ox that is lying on his side? isnt it too heavy?

Oooooohh! I see!

Thanks pal for the explanation; and for the link, Glot.

Cheers!

Thanks, Rony.

死牛一邊頸：指性格剛強，不肯改變。死硬派。 一個只依自己意見行事，不肯接受別人意見的人，稱之為硬頸。若硬頸得非常，甚至不顧後果便變成死牛一邊頸。 死了的牛倒在地上，頸也沒法轉到另一邊。這句話是帶點貶意的。

http://www.yueyu.net/yywk/sy2.htm

"死雞撐飯蓋"
= be the devil's advocate
= be reluctant to eat (boiled) crow

Hey Futari

Does it also mean ‘dialectic’? One of the definitions of being dialectical means to force an antithesis, or counter proposition, resulting in opposing assertions of the contending thesis; trying to resolve a disagreement by denying some presuppositions, and hence move towards a third thesis.

In ancient times dialectics were understood to aim at being persuasive through irrational dialogue.

Cheers.

Guess the two connote different meanings.
1) "dialectic" is "辯証"; "邏輯論証"。
2) "死雞撐飯蓋" means "to refuse to admit that one is evidently wrong and keep on arguing". Perhaps, one can use the word "dialectic" to "beautify" one's "死雞撐飯蓋" behaviour.

As for "死牛一邊頸":
= "be hell-bent on having one's own way"
= "be as stubborn as a mule"
= "be stiff-necked"
= "stick to one's guns"
= "unreasonably, often perversely unyielding"
= "bullheaded"

Good expression to describe ppl who just want the last word

Yea! Also for a Yacking Zany.

Another two words; one for letter 'Y' and one for letter 'Z'