And it tracks the English idiom perfectly, just replacing the nouns. Do you generally do well figuring out when people are putting you on, or do you spend a lot of time having people explaining to you that they were kidding?
(I could, of course, be wrong here. But I have a pretty firm guess.)
I don't see why it's mysterious, LB. Like Mikey says, it's likely that there's a similar saying in Chinese and the Chinese who live here (this woman barely has an accent) just adapt it to the English version.
Oh wow, my moment to shine! At last!! (thanks for that subtle but awesome assist back there, Chopper. You are, indeed, the man. I still don't like the Beach Boys much though.)
But yeah, this seemed to be a pretty common saying in China, and the way I remember it is something along the lines of "when the tiger is away, the monkey is king". As with the cat/mice saying, it could be applied to, for example, a room full of students when the teacher steps out of the class, or to one spouse when the other is off traveling somewhere.
But I've also heard it used to describe the situation where the boss is out of town and his incompetent but bigheaded assistant tries to run things and puts on self-important airs to his co-workers. So it seems to have at least a slightly broader meaning than the cat/mice saying, along the lines of "without control, there will be chaos".
Oh. Now I see that you already googled it.
Damn google, always stealing my thunder.
Um, uh, speaking of Ancient Chinese Wisdom, I always liked this one.
Oh, and there's this discussion (in comments) regarding that old saw about the Chinese character for "crisis" being made up of the characters for "opportunity" and "danger".
Oh, and did I mention that I used to live in China?
I did laugh out loud at the Belle reference, so loudly that my eyes passed over the misspelling of "know" -- it's like a CD skipping, exactly like a CD skipping now that I think of it. Exactly.
My favourite new saying in the Not Chinese Wisdom category: 'Don't look at me in that tone of voice - it smells a funny colour.' [Courtesy of Lucy Mangan's grandmother]
Wait--I don't have a problem accepting the tiger:monkey::CAT:MOUSE thing, but what does that have to do with how a Chinese grocery clerk is? Did she explain?
What's your best guess on the odds that she was pulling your leg, rather than reporting an actual Chinese idiom?
Posted by LizardBreath | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 7:44 PM
She was completely serious. She was surprised I hadn't heard it.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 7:46 PM
And it tracks the English idiom perfectly, just replacing the nouns. Do you generally do well figuring out when people are putting you on, or do you spend a lot of time having people explaining to you that they were kidding?
(I could, of course, be wrong here. But I have a pretty firm guess.)
Posted by LizardBreath | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 7:50 PM
of course, chinese immigrants could have adapted it.
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 7:51 PM
The tiger isn't even one of the top two monkey fun inhibitors .
Posted by Joe O | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 7:52 PM
Do you generally do well figuring out when people are putting you on
Yes. I'm certain she wasn't kidding.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 7:52 PM
It's a mystery, then.
Posted by LizardBreath | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 7:53 PM
no, i solved it at 4.
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 7:55 PM
I think there's an opportunity here for someone to tell us about their time in China.
Posted by Chopper | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 7:58 PM
Mills has been to China?
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 7:59 PM
I don't see why it's mysterious, LB. Like Mikey says, it's likely that there's a similar saying in Chinese and the Chinese who live here (this woman barely has an accent) just adapt it to the English version.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 8:01 PM
Aha!
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 8:03 PM
Lots of proverbs have very similiar analogues in Chinese and varous other languages.
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 8:19 PM
Go ahead, John, you ban LB this time.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 8:22 PM
Tigers figure largely in chinese proverbs and mythology, turning up far more often than cats.
As with "Kill two vultures with one arrow" vs. "2 birds with one stone"..
Posted by mmcc | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 8:27 PM
Even the monkey stumbles, you now.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 8:28 PM
As with "Kill two vultures with one arrow" vs. "2 birds with one stone"..
I meant to say these parallels are not that rare (though someone else said that already,sorry)
Posted by mmcc | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 8:30 PM
you now
Ben, have you been drinking tonight?
Posted by Chopper | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 8:38 PM
I was going to ask Ben the same question. And throw in some concern for his health and well-being.
Posted by ac | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 8:42 PM
Oh wow, my moment to shine! At last!! (thanks for that subtle but awesome assist back there, Chopper. You are, indeed, the man. I still don't like the Beach Boys much though.)
But yeah, this seemed to be a pretty common saying in China, and the way I remember it is something along the lines of "when the tiger is away, the monkey is king". As with the cat/mice saying, it could be applied to, for example, a room full of students when the teacher steps out of the class, or to one spouse when the other is off traveling somewhere.
But I've also heard it used to describe the situation where the boss is out of town and his incompetent but bigheaded assistant tries to run things and puts on self-important airs to his co-workers. So it seems to have at least a slightly broader meaning than the cat/mice saying, along the lines of "without control, there will be chaos".
Oh. Now I see that you already googled it.
Damn google, always stealing my thunder.
Um, uh, speaking of Ancient Chinese Wisdom, I always liked this one.
Oh, and there's this discussion (in comments) regarding that old saw about the Chinese character for "crisis" being made up of the characters for "opportunity" and "danger".
Oh, and did I mention that I used to live in China?
Posted by Mitch Mills | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 8:43 PM
Ben, have you been drinking tonight?
Or he's admitted that he's really of another genus.
Posted by DominEditrix | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 8:48 PM
I did laugh out loud at the Belle reference, so loudly that my eyes passed over the misspelling of "know" -- it's like a CD skipping, exactly like a CD skipping now that I think of it. Exactly.
Posted by Adam Kotsko | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 8:52 PM
My favourite new saying in the Not Chinese Wisdom category: 'Don't look at me in that tone of voice - it smells a funny colour.' [Courtesy of Lucy Mangan's grandmother]
Posted by DominEditrix | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 9:17 PM
Wait--I don't have a problem accepting the tiger:monkey::CAT:MOUSE thing, but what does that have to do with how a Chinese grocery clerk is? Did she explain?
Posted by L. | Link to this comment | 05-31-05 9:27 PM
Perhaps she was a single mother and her children were at home misbehaving.
Posted by Chris Jones | Link to this comment | 06- 1-05 5:50 AM
Whoops. That'll teach me to mock people's credulity.
Posted by LizardBreath | Link to this comment | 06- 1-05 7:35 AM
or her husband/boyfriend is out of town, she's cheating on him, and feels guilty.
Posted by silvana | Link to this comment | 06- 1-05 8:13 AM
DE,
My favorite non-Chinese wisdom phrase comes courtesy of my Dad: "That's like looking a dead horse in the ass."
Posted by Tripp | Link to this comment | 06- 1-05 9:43 AM
If we're talking about non-Chinese wisdom, I'm still very partial to "He's so stupid he wouldn't know his ass from a hole in his butt."
Posted by Mitch Mills | Link to this comment | 06- 1-05 6:46 PM