Definition
一把抓 literally means 'a handful grasp' — the image of grabbing everything in one handful. It is used figuratively in two main verb phrase senses: (a) taking all matters into one's own hands, often implying over-centralization of control, and (b) approaching tasks without prioritization, trying to do everything at once. In colloquial use, 一把抓 can also refer to a person who does all kinds of domestic chores (a 'factotum'), but this is a noun usage.
v.p.
to take everything into one's own handsto monopolize controlto tackle problems without prioritizingto handle tasks indiscriminately
Examples
- ，。Tā zǒng shì yì bǎ zhuā, shénme dōu yào guǎn.He always takes everything into his own hands and wants to manage everything.
- ，。Gōngzuò bù néng yì bǎ zhuā, yào xiān fēn qīngchu qīngzhòng huǎnjí.You can't tackle work without prioritizing; first sort out priorities.
- ，。Tā zuò shì xǐhuan yì bǎ zhuā, jiéguǒ fǎn'ér xiàolǜ dī.She likes to handle everything at once, but the result is lower efficiency.
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