棘刺母猴 — “Thorn-carved monkey”
棘刺母猴 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to a deceptive scheme or an extremely difficult and almost impossible undertaking, much like carving a monkey on the tip of a thorn”. Literally, “Thorn-carved monkey”.
棘刺母猴 Pronunciation and Pinyin
棘刺母猴 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 棘刺母猴
Origin and Story of 棘刺母猴
During the Warring States period, the King of Yan had a fondness for small trinkets.
A man from the State of Song claimed he could carve a monkey on the tip of a thorn, but stipulated that the King of Yan must fast and purify himself for three months before he could see it.
The King of Yan offered him the tax revenues from three tracts of land as a reward for his work.
However, a metalsmith under the Right Steward believed this was a deception, as it would be impossible to forge a carving tool suitable for such intricate work.
Idioms Related to 棘刺母猴
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Open the tool →Questions about 棘刺母猴
What does 棘刺母猴 mean?
棘刺母猴 (jí cì mǔ hóu) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to a deceptive scheme or an extremely difficult and almost impossible undertaking, much like carving a monkey on the tip of a thorn”.
How do you pronounce 棘刺母猴?
棘刺母猴 is pronounced jí cì mǔ hóu in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 棘刺母猴 literally mean?
Literally, 棘刺母猴 means “Thorn-carved monkey”. It is used to mean “refers to a deceptive scheme or an extremely difficult and almost impossible undertaking, much like carving a monkey on the tip of a thorn”.
Where does 棘刺母猴 come from?
棘刺母猴 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 棘刺母猴?
棘：多刺的植物。在棘刺尖端雕刻的猕猴。形容欺骗的勾当或艰难的事业