- zhǐ shàng tán bīngㄓˇ ㄕㄤˋ ㄊㄢˊ ㄅㄧㄥ
- lit. military tactics on paper (成语 saw); fig. theoretical discussion that is worse than useless in practice (cf. Zhao Kuo 趙括|赵括 leading an army of 400,000 to annihilation at Changping in 260 BC); an armchair strategist; idle theorizing[cedict]