a mantis trying to stop a chariot

a mantis trying to stop a chariot

Chinese idiom, Pinyin is t á NGB ì D ā ngzh é, which means to overestimate oneself and lead to failure. It comes from "Chang'an Hakka · Dou Chen Zhi" by Jiang Yikui of Ming Dynasty.

Idiom explanation

It is a metaphor for overestimating one's strength and leading to failure. It's the same as "the mantis is pawning the cart".

The origin of Idioms

Jiang Yikui of the Ming Dynasty wrote in the Hakka words of Chang'an, dou ZhuoZhi: "the mantis is on the right track, and the angry frog is on the right track."

Idiom usage

As an object or attributive, it refers to overestimation.