扭轉乾坤

lit. to upend heaven and earth (idiom) / fig. to change the course of events / to turn things around

Characters and words in 扭轉乾坤

to turn / to twist / to wring / to sprain / to swing one's hips

扭 = 丑 + 扌 : An ugly ox (丑) is charging at Nefertiti (ni) in the outhouse (ou3), but Nefertiti just swings her hips (扭) and turns him around (扭) using a toy claw (扌).

扭

niǔ

转

轉

zhuǎn

to reverse / to turn around (an undesirable situation) / (mechanics) torsion

转

轉

zhuǎi = zhu + ai3

see 轉文|转文[zhuai3 wen2]

转

轉

zhuǎn = zhu + an3

to turn / to change direction / to transfer / to forward (mail) / (Internet) to share (sb else's content)

转 = 专 + 车 : In anthill, Julian Giant Squid drives a car to transfer a drink from the bar to the scientist's table.

转

轉

zhuàn = zhu + an4

to revolve / to turn / to circle about / to walk about / classifier for revolutions (per minute etc): revs, rpm / classifier for repeated actions

乾

乹

qián = qi + an2

old variant of 乾[qian2]

乾

qián = qi + an2

surname Qian

乾

qián = qi + an2

one of the Eight Trigrams 八卦[ba1 gua4], symbolizing heaven / male principle / ☰ / ancient Chinese compass point: 315° (northwest)

乾

亁

qián = qi + an2

variant of 乾[qian2]

干

乾

ga̅n = g + an1

dry / dried food / empty; hollow / taken in to nominal kinship; adoptive; foster / futile; in vain / (dialect) rude; blunt / (dialect) to cold-shoulder

干 = 一 + 十 : Mnemonic symbol: dried fruit.

Guy Fawkes (g) is drying (干) his clothes in front of the anthill (an1). He hangs them on a large construction made from a cross (十) and a flute (一). Waiting for his clothes to dry, he snacks dried fruit (mnemonic symbol for 干).