别出心裁

Pronunciation: bié chū xīn cái Literal meaning: Bring forth a design of one's own mind

Origin & Usage

To bring out (出) something set apart (别) by one's own (心) cutting (裁). 裁 is the tailor's cut, laying the cloth out and deciding where the shears go, so the metaphor puts originality at the planning stage rather than in the execution. What is praised is the decision to lay the pattern out differently, which is why it fits design and staging better than it fits invention. An unexpected format, an unusual angle on a familiar subject, any solution whose novelty is structural.

Examples

English: "Her unconventional approach to the problem impressed everyone."

Chinese: 她别出心裁的方法给大家留下了深刻印象。