IdiomAnimals
Chinese
Chinese狐假虎威 (Hú jiǎ hǔ wēi)
Meaning: To bully others using borrowed power.
Literally: The fox borrows the tiger's might
Example: “秘书狐假虎威，用总经理的名义对大家发号施令。” — The secretary throws her weight around, giving orders in the director's name.
English equivalent: To throw one's weight around
Equivalents in other languages
French: Rouler des mécaniques Literally: To roll one's mechanics
English: throw one's weight around
Origin: From the Zhanguo Ce (Strategies of the Warring States), in the Chu section: the minister Jiang Yi told King Xuan of Chu of a fox, caught by a tiger, which claimed that Heaven had made it king of the beasts and walked ahead to prove it. Every animal fled at the sight of the tiger behind it. The fox borrowing the tiger's might is someone bullying others with borrowed power.
More Chinese idioms
- 一箭双雕 (Yī jiàn shuāng diāo) To achieve two things with a single act.
- 班门弄斧 (bān mén nòng fǔ) To display feeble skill before a true master.
- 名落孙山 (míng luò Sūn Shān) To fail an examination.
- 雪上加霜 (Xuě shàng jiā shuāng) To make a bad situation even worse.
- 五十步笑百步 (Wǔshí bù xiào bǎi bù) Mocking someone for a fault you share, only to a lesser degree.
- 得不偿失 (Dé bù cháng shī) What you gain is less than what it costs you.
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- 上梁不正下梁歪 (Shàng liáng bú zhèng xià liáng wāi) When leaders or parents behave badly, those below them follow.
- 众人拾柴火焰高 (Zhòngrén shí chái huǒyàn gāo) When everyone contributes, much more can be achieved.
- 三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮 (Sān gè chòu píjiàng, dǐng gè Zhūgě Liàng) Ordinary people who pool their ideas can match a genius.
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