片言只字 just a few words or a short note; a brief note or letter; fragments of writing; half a word; just a note with few writing on it 片纸只字 just a short note; a brief note or letter; fragments of writing .
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?片言只语
片言只语 a few isolated words and phrases; (pick out) a phrase or two; half a word; jus ..
Foreign correspondents in the first half of the 20th century learned to write in cablese, a series of abbreviations demanded by news organisations that had to pay by the word.
It must have taken me ahalf hour to sense that maybe some key to an answer could result from reversing the word "Thanksgiving" — at least that suggested a verbal direction, "giving thanks."