Saturday, March 11, 2006

Phrase of the Day

拔苗助长 
 
Ba Miao Zhu Zhang
 
(That's Chinese, right. Tones, for toney people, go 2-2-4-3.)
 
It means: "Help the saplings grow by pulling them upwards" - in other words, to spoil something by displaying excessive zeal or enthusiasm.
 
Handy one to be able to flick out when the moment is ripe.
 
 

1 comment:

  1. Ah yes, when the moment is ripe - and not premature...

    Don't go trying to pull those saplings up.

    Yes, er, very interesting little proverby idiom thing, Edward. Tres interessant...

    ReplyDelete