“头日剃头就遇着个胡须”

“头日剃头就遇着个胡须” is a Teochew idiom.It means that things are in trouble the same time as the plan just start.’头日’means the first day.’剃头’means cut hair for others.’遇着’ means handle.’胡须’ means a person with a full beard.

Practice speaking this sentence in Teochew dialect:

Proud Apprentice

Once upon a time, there was an apprentice barber. He was not modest when learning the craft. He thought that learning this craft was nothing more than using scissors, razors, and wooden combs. What was so great about it!

He was careless when learning, and ran back to his hometown to start his own business before the apprenticeship was over.

Big trouble on the first day of opening

On the first day of business, the first customer who came in was a man with a big beard. The apprentice, who had not yet completed his apprenticeship, was dumbfounded.

He had no choice but to step forward. However, when he picked up the razor, he felt that the blade was blunt, the beard was hard, and his hands and fingers were not flexible.

“Too Hard” Beard, “Scratched” Face

Before the beard was shaved off, the customer’s face was scratched first. In order to cover up his mistake, he quickly pressed the wound with the fingers of his left hand. After a while, all five fingers of his left hand were pressed, but the wounds kept increasing. He was anxious and didn’t know what to do for a while. So he burst into tears.

Forgiving customer,Broken Barber

The customer was a tolerant person. He knew the barber was a novice because he saw the barber’s clumsy hands and feet. He endured it when he cut his face.

At this time, the barber apprentice burst into tears, but he was puzzled and asked him why he was crying. The apprentice sobbed and replied, “I am so unlucky. I met a bearded man like you on my first day of shaving.” The bearded customer laughed.

Later, people used this sentence to describe encountering difficult things or difficult people when they first started working.