clay oxen and wooden horses

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)