節外生枝

jiéwàishēngzhī

side issues (or new problems) crop up unexpectedly, raise obstacles; deliberately complicate an issue

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jié wài shēng zhī

new problems complicate an issue, deliberately create such problems

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jie2 wai4 sheng1 zhi1

a new branch grows out of a knot (idiom); fig. side issues keep arising

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節外生枝|节外生枝 [jié wài shēng zhī] ► a new branch grows out of a knot (idiom); fig. side issues keep arising