挺腰桿

Simplified: 挺腰杆

tǐngyāogǎn ㄊㄧㄥˇ ㄧㄠ ㄍㄢˇ

    • to stand up for oneself
    • to refuse to submit and be independent

Character by character

Saying俗语俗語

Idiom惯用语 · Widely known

Literally
straighten the back
Meaning
To stand up for oneself, refuse to submit to others and be independent. Approving.

Sources