Ideographic: Rice 米 that stinks 臭; 臭 also provides the pronunciationRadical:

meaning for qiǔ:

  • - dry rations (for a journey)
  • - (dialect) (of noodles etc) to become mush (from overcooking)
  • - (coll.) embarrassing
  • - embarrassment
  • - surname Qiuawkward incidentnothing but herb soup and dry provisions to eat (idiom)
  • - to survive on a coarse diet
  • - à la guerre comme à la guerrenothing but herb soup and dry provisions to eat (idiom)
  • - to survive on a coarse diet
  • - à la guerre comme à la guerre(coll.) to have sth embarrassing happendry rations