borrow a tiger's ferocity; bully others by flaunting one's powerful connections
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
to bully others by flaunting one's powerful connections; to borrow authority from a powerful person to intimidate
neutralOriginally from the fable in the 'Stratagems of the Warring States.' It describes a weak person (the fox) pretending to have the backing of a powerful one (the tiger) to scare others.
Tā他
shū叔
shu叔
shì是
shì市
zhǎng长
，
tā他
jiù就
zài在
gōng公
sī司
lǐ里
hú狐
jiǎ假
hǔ虎
wēi威
，
qī欺
fu负
tóng同
shì事
。
His uncle is the mayor, so he bullies his colleagues at the company by borrowing his uncle's authority.
Zhè这
gè个
è恶
bà霸
bù不
guò过
shì是
hú狐
jiǎ假
hǔ虎
wēi威
，
tā他
zhēn真
zhèng正
de的
kào靠
shān山
yī一
dǎo倒
，
tā他
jiù就
shén什
me么
yě也
bù不
shì是
le了
。
This bully is merely borrowing a tiger's ferocity; once his real backer falls, he'll be nothing.
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Yǒu有
xiē些
rén人
zì自
jǐ己
méi没
shén什
me么
běn本
shì事
，
jiù就
xǐ喜
huān欢
hú狐
jiǎ假
hǔ虎
wēi威
。
Some people have little ability themselves but enjoy bullying others by flaunting their connections.