[ bā zì hai méi yī piě ]

比喻事情毫无眉目，未见端倪。

《通俗常言疏证》

八字还没一撇，拼音是bāzìhaiméiyīpiě，原指没门儿，现在演变为没办法，没眉目，没头绪，不沾边的代名词了。出自《通俗常言疏证》。

lit. there is not even the first stroke of the character 八; no sign of success yet; things have not even begun to take shape