IdiomAnimals
Chinese
Chinese拍马屁 (pāi mǎpì)
Meaning: To flatter or suck up to someone.
Literally: To pat the horse's rump
Example: “他整天拍老板马屁，就想升职。” — He butters up the boss all day, hoping for a promotion.
English equivalent: To butter someone up
Equivalents in other languages
Korean: 비행기를 태우다 (bihaenggireul taeuda) Literally: To put someone on an airplane
English: To butter someone up
Polish: podbijać bębenka Literally: To beat the drum
Origin: "To pat the horse's rump": to flatter. The usual explanation is a custom of the Mongol-ruled Yuan dynasty, when people praised a neighbor's horse by patting its rump, whatever the horse was worth. The story is widely repeated but not documented.
More Chinese idioms
- 亡羊补牢 (Wáng yáng bǔ láo) It's not too late to act after a setback to prevent further loss.
- 杯弓蛇影 (bēi gōng shé yǐng) To frighten yourself with imaginary fears.
- 胸有成竹 (xiōng yǒu chéng zhú) To have a well-formed plan ready before you begin.
- 井底之蛙 (Jǐng dǐ zhī wā) Someone with a narrow, limited worldview.
- 守株待兔 (shǒu zhū dài tù) Vainly hoping a lucky fluke will repeat itself.
- 塞翁失马 (Sài Wēng shī mǎ) A blessing in disguise; fortune is unpredictable.
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