敲門磚

qiāoménzhuān

a brick picked up to knock on the door and thrown away when it has served its purpose—a stepping-stone to success

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qiao1 men2 zhuan1

lit. a brick as a door knocker (idiom); fig. a temporary expedient, to use sb as a stepping stone to fortune

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敲門磚|敲门砖 [qiāo mén zhuān] ► lit. a brick as a door knocker (idiom); fig. a temporary expedient ► to use sb as a stepping stone to fortune