杞憂
Meaning: Unnecessary worry about things that won't happen; baseless anxiety.
Language: Japanese
Literally: Worry of Qi - fear that the sky might fall
Category: The Absurd
Origin: Ancient Chinese text about people of Qi fearing the sky would collapse.
More idioms — The Absurd
- 臥虎藏龍 — Hidden talented individuals waiting quietly for their moment to shine.
- 四面楚歌 — Being surrounded by enemies with no hope of escape or support.
- mad as a box of frogs — completely crazy; chaotic and unpredictable.
- paint the town red — to celebrate wildly; to party extensively.
- Quand les poules auront des dents — Never — it describes something that will simply never happen.
- No hay tu tía — There's no way around it; nothing can be done.
More Japanese idioms
- 傍若無人 — Behaving without regard for others' feelings or presence around you.
- 一期一会 — Treasure each encounter as unique and irreplaceable in life.
- 鯖を読む — To fudge the numbers in your favor, especially your age.
- 油を売る — To slack off or dawdle when you should be working.
- 高嶺の花 — Someone or something beautiful but utterly out of reach.
- 猫舌 — Unable to handle hot food or drinks.
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