Chinese

{| style="clear: right;margin: 1em;border-collapse: collapse;text-align: center"

|- ! !clutch
grab !collar !expose
appear !elbow
shoulder |- !trad. (捉襟見肘) | 捉 | 襟 | 見 | 肘 |- !simp. (捉襟见肘) | 捉 | 襟 | 见 | 肘 |- !alt. forms |捉衿見肘／捉衿见肘 |- !Literally: “to clutch one's collar only to expose one's elbows”. |}

Idiom

捉襟見肘

1. tattered
2. pitifully poor
3. to be desperately poor; to be hard up
4. to have too many problems to handle at one time

References

• "捉襟见肘" at 《汉典》.
• "捉襟见肘" at iciba.