tremble and obey

present singular third person trembles and obeys · participle present trembling and obeying · participle past trembled and obeyed · past trembled and obeyed

1. ChinaidiomaticTo unthinkingly obey or pander to authorities, especially the Chinese government.

   Never “tremble and obey” if doing so will damage or destroy your business in China.

   2005, James McGregor, One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China, page 153

   2 more examples

   The ordinary voter ... feels himself their humble subject, whose duty is, as the Chinese used to say, to “tremble and obey”.

   1949, Bertrand Russell, Authority and the Individual

   ... the previous colonial government and the current tremble-and-obey government have helped foster the myth of a historically politically apathetic and selfish society ...

   2017, Stephen Vines, “Those who think the Umbrella Movement failed need to learn a little history”, in Hong Kong Free Press

2. ChinahistoricalPhrase promulgating a decree of the Chinese imperial government or the early British colonial administration in Hong Kong.

   Let the good tremble and obey; let them not act so as to have hereafter to repent. A special Proclamation.

   1857, Thomas Wade, “Translation of a Paper forwarded by His Excellency the Governor of Macao”, in J. C. Parkinson, editor, Government Examinations, page 124