话柄

a pretext for gossip / a matter for derision

dialect / language / spoken words / speech / talk / words / conversation / what sb said / CL:種|种[zhong3],席[xi2],句[ju4],口[kou3],番[fan1]

old variant of 話|话[hua4]

handle or shaft (of an axe etc) / (of a flower, leaf or fruit) stem / sth that affords an advantage to an opponent / classifier for knives or blades