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Synopsis
A Chinese idiom from 'Strategies of the Warring States' — adding legs to a snake when drawing it, a metaphor for ruining something by doing too much.
Source
From "Strategies of the Warring States" (战国策)
Meaning
Hua She Tian Zu (画蛇添足): To draw legs on a snake. A metaphor for spoiling something by adding unnecessary extras.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Idiom | 画蛇添足 |
| Pinyin | huà shé tiān zú |
| Source | Strategies of the Warring States |
| Similar | Gilding the lily, overdoing it |
The Story
A nobleman in Chu gave his servants a pot of wine. They decided to race drawing snakes — the winner gets the wine. One man finished first and, seeing others still drawing, boasted he could add legs to his snake. While he was adding legs, another man finished, grabbed the wine, and said, "Snakes don't have legs." The leg-drawer lost the wine.
Moral
Don't overdo things. Adding unnecessary extras can ruin what was already perfect.
References
- Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/画蛇添足
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