蜚短流長

to spread malicious gossip / also written 飛短流長|飞短流长[fei1 duan3 liu2 chang2]

gad-fly

short / brief / to lack / weak point / fault

to flow / to disseminate / to circulate or spread / to move or drift / to degenerate / to banish or send into exile / stream of water or sth resembling one / class, rate or grade

length / long / forever / always / constantly

chief / head / elder / to grow / to develop / to increase / to enhance