Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

a revolution is not a dinner party

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.32 in modern English

Syllables
a rev-o-lu-tion is not a din-ner -par-ty
IPA
37
Scrabble Score
28
Letters
7
Syllables
14
Unique Chars

Meaning

proverb

In order to achieve something, courtesy, long-held norms, and other such formalities must be dropped.

Etymology

Calque of Chinese 革命不是請客吃飯 /革命不是请客吃饭 (gémìng bùshì qǐngkè chīfàn, literally “revolution is not having guests to eat a meal”). An aphoristic political statement by Mao Zedong, defending violence as a means of imposing a different societal order; for more, see Wikipedia at revolution is not a dinner party.

Questions

What does a revolution is not a dinner party mean?
In order to achieve something, courtesy, long-held norms, and other such formalities must be dropped.
Where does a revolution is not a dinner party come from?
Calque of Chinese 革命不是請客吃飯 /革命不是请客吃饭 (gémìng bùshì qǐngkè chīfàn, literally “revolution is not having guests to eat a meal”). An aphoristic political statement by Mao Zedong, defending violence as a means of imposing a different societal order; for more, see Wikipedia at revolution is not a dinner party.

How to pronounce a revolution is not a dinner party

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