Animal Name Idioms

short-sighted

small-minded

lit. to refrain from shooting at the rat for fear of breaking the vases (idiom)/to not act against an evil so as to prevent harm to innocents

to cover one's head and sneak away like a rat (idiom); to flee ignominiously

lit. the head of a river deer and the eyes of a rat (idiom)/fig. repulsively ugly and shifty-looking

(idiom) chicken-hearted; gutless

evil monsters/(fig.) bad characters/(political) bad elements

see 小試牛刀|小试牛刀[xiao3 shi4 niu2 dao1]

lit. enough books to make a pack-ox sweat or to fill a house to the rafters (idiom); fig. many books

lit. to play the lute to a cow (idiom)/fig. offering a treat to an unappreciative audience/to cast pearls before swine/caviar to the general/to preach to deaf ears/to talk over sb's head

lit. a clay ox enters the sea (idiom); fig. to disappear with no hope of returning

to glare like a tiger watching his prey (idiom)/to eye covetously

lit. to escape from the tiger's mouth (idiom)/fig. to narrowly escape death

back of a tiger and waist of a bear/tough and stocky build

lit. tiger's head, snake's tail (idiom); fig. a strong start but weak finish

to turn pale at the mention of a tiger (idiom)/to be scared at the mere mention of

lit. like a tiger that has grown wings/with redoubled power (idiom)

if you ride a tiger, it's hard to get off (idiom); fig. impossible to stop halfway

(idiom) to act as accomplice to the tiger; to help a villain do evil

lit. hidden dragon, crouching tiger (idiom)/fig. talented individuals in hiding/concealed talent

lit. the fox exploits the tiger's might (idiom); fig. to use powerful connections to intimidate people