clay oxen and wooden horses
It is a Chinese idiom. Pinyin is t ǔ Ni ú m ù m ǎ. It means a cow made of clay and a horse made of wood. It means there is no practical thing. From Guan Yinzi, eight chips.
The origin of Idioms
Guan Yinzi · eight chips: "those who know the falsehood of things don't have to go to them. For example, when you see a local ox or a horse, although you have the name of ox or horse, you forget the reality of ox or horse."
Idiom usage
Combined; as object and attribute; with derogatory meaning.
Examples
If you get stupid from your family's capital, you can't get involved in Taoism. (Biography of Su Chuo in northern History)
Chinese PinYin : tǔ niú mù mǎ
clay oxen and wooden horses
The Dragon twists and the snake stretches. lóng qū shé shēn
thrice kneeling and nine times bowing. sān guì jiǔ kòu