挑刺儿 (tiāocìr) to find faults on purpose

Usage:

“挑刺儿”的字面意思是挑出扎在肉中的尖小的东西。在方言中引申义为故意找错儿，口语中还可以说“挑……的刺儿”。
"挑刺儿" literally means taking out the sharp and small splinter in the flesh. In dialect, it is extended to mean finding faults or picking holes on purpose. People also say “挑……的刺儿” in spoken language.

Sentences:

1、Wǒ gāng shuō wán wǒ de xiāngfǎ, tā jiù kāishǐ tiāocir.
我刚说完我的想法，他就开始挑刺儿。
As soon as I presented my idea, he began to pick holes in it.

2、Lǎobǎn jīntiān xīnqíng bù hǎo, yì zhěngtiān dōu zài tiāo mìshū de cìr.
老板今天心情不好，一整天都在挑秘书的刺儿。
The boss is in bad mood today, and he has always found the secretary’s faults all day long.

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