Chinese idiom · 成语
捉刀代笔
Meaning
To hold the knife and write; to act as a ghostwriter.
Character by character
Origin and story
Traditional anecdoteIn the Shishuo Xinyu's Rongzhi chapter, Cao Cao worries that his appearance will not impress an envoy from the Xiongnu. He has Cui Jigui take his place while he stands beside the couch holding a sword. Afterward, the envoy judges the supposed ruler impressive but identifies the sword-holder as the real hero. The anecdote ends with Cao Cao ordering the envoy pursued and killed.
The story concerns substitution of roles rather than writing a document. 捉刀 later became a figurative term for doing another person's work, especially writing on their behalf; 代笔 makes that writing sense explicit.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
这篇署名文章其实是请别人捉刀代笔的。
This signed article was actually ghostwritten by someone else.
Specifically writing for another person; the credit or acknowledgment depends on context.