to rub / to grind / to polish / to sharpen / to wear down / to die out / to waste time / to pester / to insist
磨
=
石
+
麻
:
Mahatma Gandhi (m) has been tied down in the observatory's kitchen (o2) with ropes made of hemp (麻). He uses a stone (石) to patiently rub (磨) through the ropes.
叨
=
刀
+
口
:
Don Quixote (d) is chopping up a mandarin (口) with a cleaver (刀) in front of the aorta (ao1), but because he is chatting (叨) so much he doesn't pay attention and chops off his fingers.
