不胫而走

Pronunciation: bù jìng ér zǒu
Literal meaning: Without legs yet walks

Origin & Usage

This mysterious idiom describes something that walks/spreads (走) without (不) legs (胫), originating from Han Dynasty discussions of information dissemination. It first appeared in texts describing how news traveled rapidly through informal networks despite official efforts to control communication. The paradoxical image of legless movement created a powerful metaphor for seemingly supernatural spread. During the Tang Dynasty, historical records used it to describe how imperial court news reached border regions with surprising speed. Modern usage primarily describes rapid information spread - from rumors to viral content - emphasizing the autonomous, difficult-to-control nature of such transmission across social networks.

Examples

English: "The rumor spread throughout the organization without any official announcement"

Chinese: 谣言在没有任何官方宣布的情况下传遍了整个组织

---

Discover a new Chinese idiom every day with our iOS app.