一人得道，鸡犬升天
yī rén dé dào , jī quǎn shēng tiān
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1 lit. when a man achieves the Dao, his poultry and dogs rise to Heaven (idiom)
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2 fig. to ride on sb else's success
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3 Once one man gets a government position, all his cronies get in too
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4 Once sb has cracked the problem, every Tom, Dick and Harry can do it
一颗老鼠屎坏了一锅汤
yī kē lǎo shǔ shǐ huài le yī guō tāng
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1 lit. a piece of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of soup (idiom)
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2 fig. one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch
以汤沃沸
yǐ tāng wò fèi
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1 to manage a situation badly (idiom)
偷鸡不成蚀把米
tōu jī bù chéng shí bǎ mǐ
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1 lit. to try to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice used to lure it (idiom)
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2 fig. to try to gain an advantage only to end up worse off
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3 to go for wool and come back shorn
偷鸡摸狗
tōu jī mō gǒu
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1 to imitate the dog and steal chicken (idiom)
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2 to pilfer
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3 to dally with women
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4 to have affairs
割鸡焉用牛刀
gē jī yān yòng niú dāo
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1 lit. why use a pole-ax to slaughter a chicken? (idiom)
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2 fig. to waste effort on a trifling matter
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3 also written 殺雞焉用牛刀|杀鸡焉用牛刀[shā jī yān yòng niú dāo]
参差不齐
cēn cī bù qí
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1 (idiom) variable
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2 uneven
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3 irregular
参差错落
cēn cī cuò luò
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1 uneven and jumbled (idiom); irregular and disorderly
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2 in a tangled mess
呆若木鸡
dāi ruò mù jī
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1 lit. dumb as a wooden chicken (idiom); fig. dumbstruck
问客杀鸡
wèn kè shā jī
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1 lit. asking guests whether or not to butcher a chicken for them (idiom)
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2 fig. hypocritical show of affection (or hospitality)
固若金汤
gù ruò jīn tāng
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1 secure as a city protected by a wall of metal and a moat of boiling water (idiom)
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2 well fortified
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3 invulnerable to attack
嫁鸡随鸡
jià jī suí jī
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1 If you marry a chicken, follow the chicken (idiom); A woman should follow whatever her husband orders.
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2 We must learn to accept the people around us.
嫁鸡随鸡，嫁狗随狗
jià jī suí jī , jià gǒu suí gǒu
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1 if you marry a chicken follow the chicken, if you marry a dog follow the dog (idiom)
宁做鸡头，不做凤尾
nìng zuò jī tóu , bù zuò fèng wěi
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1 lit. would rather be a chicken's head than a phoenix's tail (idiom)
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2 fig. to prefer to be a big fish in a small pond rather than a small fish in a big pond
小肚鸡肠
xiǎo dù jī cháng
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1 lit. small belly, chicken's gut (idiom); narrow-minded
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2 petty
手无缚鸡之力
shǒu wú fù jī zhī lì
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1 lit. lacking the strength even to truss a chicken (idiom)
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2 fig. weak
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3 unaccustomed to physical work
拿着鸡毛当令箭
ná zhe jī máo dàng lìng jiàn
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1 to wave a chicken feather as a token of authority (idiom); to assume unwarranted authority on the basis of some pretext
指鸡骂狗
zhǐ jī mà gǒu
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1 lit. to point at the chicken while scolding the dog (idiom)
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2 fig. to make indirect criticisms
换汤不换药
huàn tāng bù huàn yào
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1 different broth but the same old medicine (idiom); a change in name only
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2 a change in form but not in substance
斗酒只鸡
dǒu jiǔ zhī jī
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1 lit. a chicken and a bottle of wine (idiom); fig. ready to make an offering to the deceased, or to entertain guests