a snipe and a clam locked in a fight

a snipe and a clam locked in a fight

It is a Chinese idiom. Pinyin is y ù B à ngxi à ngch í, which means that both sides will lose in a dispute and the third party will lose. From Qi Ying Bu by Shang Zhongxian in Yuan Dynasty.

Idiom usage

The two are at odds with each other. The two are at odds with each other.

Analysis of Idioms

Synonym: snipe and clam fight; antonym: complement each other

The origin of Idioms

The second fold of Qi Ying Bu written by Shang Zhongxian in Yuan Dynasty: "when he is in a stalemate with the snipe and the clam, he will die day by day, and we will revive when the fisherman smiles."

Idiom explanation

According to the records of yance 2, the clam opened its shell to bask in the sun, and the snipe went to peck it. Its mouth was caught by the clam's shell, and neither side gave way. When the fisherman came, he caught both of them. It is used to describe a dispute between two sides, in which both sides are hurt and the third party is the cheapest.

Idiom story

During the Warring States period, the state of Zhao was ready to attack the state of Yan. The king of Yan sent Su Dai to the state of Zhao to persuade the king of Zhao not to fight. He told the story of a clam holding the long beak of a snipe on the shore. The two sides argued and refused to let it go. Finally, a fisherman caught it easily. If there was a war between Yan and Zhao, the state of Qin would swallow Yan and Zhao as easily as a fisherman. King Zhao had no choice but to give up his plan for war.