The word 捣蛋 (dǎodàn) is a compound formed through a vivid metaphorical extension: the verb 捣 means "to stir; to poke; to disturb", while 蛋 literally means "egg". Historically, the phrase 捣蛋 originated from the literal, mischievous act of poking or stirring eggs, an action that is messy, troublesome, and serves no productive purpose. This concrete image was then semantically extended to describe human behavior, metaphorically meaning "to stir up trouble" or "to act mischievously". Thus, the word encapsulates the concept of causing playful or annoying disruption, where 捣 provides the action of provoking, and 蛋 symbolizes the fragile, chaotic result or the trivial object of the mischief.