步罡踏斗

步

bù

罡

ga̅ng

踏

tà

斗

dǒu

to worship the astral deities (idiom, refers to Daoist astrology)

Characters and words in 步罡踏斗

步

bù = bu + Ø4

surname Bu

步

bù = bu + Ø4

a step / a pace / walk / march / stages in a process / situation

步 = 止 + 丨 + 丶 + 丿 : Mnemonic symbol: a five-paced viper, 五步蛇.

Bruno Bear (bu) was strolling (步) around the space station's bathroom (Ø4) with a dinosaur bone (丨) as walking (步) stick in his hands. He disregarded the barrier (止) marking the wild, forbidden area lightheartedly and just jumped over it whistling a joyful tune. But shortly afterwards he made a terrible realization: only five paces (步)away there was a five-paced viper (步) hiding under a petal leaf (丶)! Bruno knew the viper was after him, so he tried to keep it at distance using his dinosaur bone and feeding it bananas (丿) while at the same time slowly backing up to the barrier.

罡

ga̅ng = g + ang1

stars of the Big Dipper that constitute the tail of the dipper

踏

ta̅ = t + a1

see 踏實|踏实[ta1 shi5]

踏

tà = t + a4

to tread / to stamp / to step on / to press a pedal / to investigate on the spot

踏 = ⻊ + 沓 : Tecumseh (t) tries on his new cowboy boots (⻊) in the ashram's bathroom (a4), but accidentally he tramples (踏) all over his hot tub (沓).

斗

dǒu = d + ou3

abbr. for the Big Dipper constellation 北斗星[Bei3 dou3 xing1]

斗

dǒu = d + ou3

dry measure for grain equal to ten 升[sheng1] or one-tenth of a 石[dan4] / decaliter / peck / cup or dipper shaped object / old variant of 陡[dou3]

斗

鬥

dòu = d + ou4

to fight / to struggle / to condemn / to censure / to contend / to put together / coming together

斗 = ⺀ + 十 : Mnemonic symbol: a 斗牛士 (dou4 niu2 shi4) is a matador, who will represent 斗 when used as component.

The matador (斗) and Don Quixote (d) are fighting (斗) in the outhouse's bathroom (ou4) about who may use the bathroom next. The matador yields a holy cross (十) as a weapon, while Don Quixote (d) wisely chose a blossom (⺀) to cushion the crosses' blows.