大显身手

Pronunciation: dà xiǎn shēn shǒu Literal meaning: Greatly display one's abilities

Origin & Usage

To display (大显) one's person and hands (身手) — 身手 is a compound meaning physical skill, the whole body's competence rather than a technique. The phrase belongs to martial fiction, where it names the moment a fighter who has been standing at the back finally moves. Chinese has kept the theatre in it: what it describes is not merely doing something well but doing it where it will be seen, and usually after a wait.

Examples

English: "The championship game was his chance to showcase his skills."

Chinese: 冠军赛是他大显身手的机会。