杯弓蛇影
Meaning: To frighten yourself with imaginary fears.
Language: Chinese
Literally: Bow in the cup, snake in the reflection
Category: The Absurd
Origin: A Han-dynasty man fell ill believing he'd swallowed a snake — really just a bow reflected in his wine cup.
More idioms — The Absurd
- Μου άναψες τα λαμπάκια — You made me furious.
- नौ दो ग्यारह होना — To flee or run away quickly.
- Пасти с Марса — To be totally out of touch with what's going on.
- На баба ми хвърчилото — Something utterly irrelevant or nonsensical.
- C'est l'hôpital qui se fout de la charité — Said when someone criticizes another for a flaw they share themselves; the pot calling th…
- rhyme or reason — Any logical sense or reasonable explanation.
More Chinese idioms
- 胸有成竹 — To have a well-formed plan ready before you begin.
- 井底之蛙 — Someone with a narrow, limited worldview.
- 守株待兔 — Vainly hoping a lucky fluke will repeat itself.
- 塞翁失马 — A blessing in disguise; fortune is unpredictable.
- 狐假虎威 — To bully others using borrowed power.
- 入乡随俗 — When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Loading the full interactive collection…