Our boss plans to promote Bob, who is neither responsible nor capable. But you'd better button your lip and not say a word against it, because Bob is nobody but the boss's brother-in-law. Could you explain “button your lip”?

My comments:

This is an advice for you to keep your mouth tightly shut. That is, not to say a word of disapproval to Bob’s promotion to avoid possible retributions. After all, Bob’s the boss’s brother-in-law – he is very likely to get the promotion in spite of what you may think of his qualifications, or lacks thereof.

Sounds like a typical family-owned business operation anywhere in the world.

Anyways, button your lip – keep it sealed – like you button up your shirt.

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Go to Zhang Xin's column

本文僅代表作者本人觀點，與本網立場無關。歡迎大家討論學術問題，尊重他人，禁止人身攻擊和發布一切違反國家現行法律法規的內容。

Zhang Xin has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.