ชักแม่น้ำทั้งห้า

Meaning: To give a long-winded, roundabout justification before getting to the point.

Language: Thai

Literally: To invoke all five rivers

Category: Nature

Origin: Classical Thai rhetoric drawing on the five great rivers of ancient India to dress up a request at exhausting length.

More idioms — Nature

• Đứng núi này trông núi nọ — Never satisfied with what you have; the grass is always greener.
• Nước đổ lá khoai — Advice or effort that has no effect at all; in one ear and out the other.
• To rain on someone's parade — To spoil someone's plans or happy moment.
• Non ci piove — There's no doubt about it whatsoever.
• Het regent pijpenstelen — It is raining very heavily.
• 胸有成竹 — To have a well-formed plan ready before you begin.

More Thai idioms

• จับปลาสองมือ — To chase two goals at once and risk losing both.
• ตำน้ำพริกละลายแม่น้ำ — To squander resources for nothing.
• ขี่ช้างจับตั๊กแตน — To use enormous means for a trivial result.
• น้ำขึ้นให้รีบตัก — Seize an opportunity while it lasts.

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