IdiomNature
English
Englishgild the lily
Meaning: To spoil something already perfect by adding to it.
Example: “The cake is lovely as it is; adding sprinkles would be gilding the lily.”
Origin: A misquotation of Shakespeare's King John (1595), which speaks of trying "to gild refined gold, to paint the lily."
Equivalents in other languages
Japanese: 蛇足 (dassoku) Literally: Snake legs
Chinese: 画蛇添足 (huà shé tiān zú) Literally: Drawing legs on a snake
More English idioms
- borrow trouble To worry about problems that may never happen.
- act like one owns the place To behave with arrogant disregard for others.
- once in a lifetime So rare that it will probably happen only once.
- cook the books To falsify figures, especially accounts.
- out of one's league Too good, attractive or expensive for someone to have a chance with.
- no room to swing a cat A very small or cramped space.
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