一石二鸟
yī shí èr niǎo
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1 to kill two birds with one stone (idiom)
不打不成器
bù dǎ bù chéng qì
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1 spare the rod and spoil the child (idiom)
他山之石可以攻玉
tā shān zhī shí kě yǐ gōng yù
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1 lit. the other mountain's stone can polish jade (idiom); to improve oneself by accepting criticism from outside
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2 to borrow talent from abroad to develop the nation effectively
以卵击石
yǐ luǎn jī shí
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1 lit. to strike a stone with egg (idiom); to attempt the impossible
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2 to invite disaster by overreaching oneself
刀不磨要生锈，人不学要落后
dāo bù mó yào shēng xiù , rén bù xué yào luò hòu
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1 a blade will get rusty if it is not sharpened; a man will fall behind if he doesn't study (idiom)
切磋琢磨
qiē cuō zhuó mó
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1 lit. cutting and polishing (idiom)
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2 fig. to learn by exchanging ideas or experiences
卸磨杀驴
xiè mò shā lu:2
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1 lit. to kill the donkey when the grinding is done (idiom)
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2 to get rid of sb once he has ceased to be useful
只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针
zhǐ yào gōng fu shēn , tiě chǔ mó chéng zhēn
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1 If you work at it hard enough, you can grind an iron bar into a needle.
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2 cf idiom 磨杵成針|磨杵成针, to grind an iron bar down to a fine needle (idiom); fig. to persevere in a difficult task
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3 to study diligently
坚如磐石
jiān rú pán shí
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1 solid as a boulder (idiom); absolutely secure
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2 rock-firm and unyielding
大器晚成
dà qì wǎn chéng
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1 lit. it takes a long time to make a big pot (idiom); fig. a great talent matures slowly
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2 in the fullness of time a major figure will develop into a pillar of the state
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3 Rome wasn't built in a day
好事多磨
hǎo shì duō mó
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1 the road to happiness is strewn with setbacks (idiom)
安如磐石
ān rú pán shí
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1 as solid as rock (idiom); as sure as houses
工欲善其事，必先利其器
gōng yù shàn qí shì , bì xiān lì qí qì
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1 To do a good job, an artisan needs the best tools (idiom). Good tools are prerequisite to the successful execution of a job
投井下石
tóu jǐng xià shí
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1 to throw stones at sb who fell down a well (idiom); to hit a person who is down
投石问路
tóu shí wèn lù
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1 lit. to toss a stone to find out what's ahead (idiom)
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2 fig. to test the waters
投鼠忌器
tóu shǔ jì qì
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1 lit. to refrain from shooting at the rat for fear of breaking the vases (idiom)
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2 to not act against an evil so as to prevent harm to innocents
搬石头砸自己的脚
bān shí tou zá zì jǐ de jiǎo
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1 to move a stone and stub one's toe
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2 to shoot oneself in the foot (idiom)
搬起石头砸自己的脚
bān qǐ shí tou zá zì jǐ de jiǎo
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1 to crush one's own foot while trying to maneuver a rock (to a cliff edge, to drop on one's enemy) (idiom)
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2 hoisted by one's own petard
摸着石头过河
mō zhe shí tou guò hé
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1 to wade across the river, feeling for footholds as one goes (idiom)
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2 to advance cautiously, step by step
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3 to feel one's way forward
有钱能使鬼推磨
yǒu qián néng shǐ guǐ tuī mò
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1 lit. money will make the Devil turn millstones (idiom)
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2 fig. with money, you can do anything you like