like an awl in a bag -- real talent will be discovered

like an awl in a bag -- real talent will be discovered

In the Chinese idiom, Pinyin is Zhu ī ch ǔ n á ngzhi ō ng, which means that when the awl is put in the pocket, the tip of the awl will show. It means that a person with talent will not be buried for a long time, but will eventually show off. It comes from the biography of Yu Qing, the prince of the plain in historical records.

Analysis of Idioms

[synonym]: out of the bag, out of the bag [antonym]: out of the bag

The origin of Idioms

The life of a man and a virtuous man is like a cone in a bag. Sima Qian, Western Han Dynasty

Idiom usage

Subject predicate type; as object and attribute; with commendatory meaning; refers to the beginning of talent. When the book is passed on to this person, who will be the prime minister in my pocket? Chen Sanli's Ci Yun's reply to Wang Yimen

Idioms and allusions

During the Warring States period, Mao Sui, a disciple of Zhao Guoping, voluntarily recommended himself to go with Pingyuan Jun to negotiate with the king of Chu. When Pingyuan Jun saw that he was not well-known at ordinary times, he said, "a wise man's way of life is like a cone in a bag, but he has no idea." Mao Sui said he was willing to stand out from the crowd. Pingyuan King allowed him to go, and finally urged Chu to send troops to fight against Qin and save Zhao.