削足适履
削足适履 (xuē zú shì lǚ) literally means “cut the foot to fit the shoe” and expresses “distort the substance to fit the form”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.
Also searched as: xue zu shi lv, xue zu shi lv,削足适履 meaning, 削足适履 in english
Distort the substance to fit the form
Pronunciation: xuē zú shì lǚ Literal meaning: Cut the foot to fit the shoe
Origin & Usage
The Huainanzi asks what kind of person, finding the shoe too small, would pare (削) the foot (足) to fit (适) it (履), or cut off the head to suit the hat. The absurdity is the argument. What the phrase names is the specific inversion in which the standard, the plan or the schedule is treated as fixed and the actual thing is trimmed to match — targets, quotas and processes that have outlived the purpose they were built for.
Examples
English: "They kept the deadline and cut the parts of the product that made it worth having"
Chinese: 为了赶上原定的期限，他们砍掉了产品真正有价值的部分
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about wisdom & learning
融会贯通
róng huì guàn tōng
Integrate many strands into one understanding
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学海无涯
xué hǎi wú yá
Learning is limitless
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知行合一
zhī xíng hé yī
Practice what you know
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举一反三
jǔ yī fǎn sān
Learn many from one example
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温故知新
wēn gù zhī xīn
Learn new through studying old
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画龙点睛
huà lóng diǎn jīng
Add crucial finishing touch
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读万卷书
dú wàn juàn shū
Read extensively for knowledge
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抛砖引玉
pāo zhuān yǐn yù
Offer modest view to inspire better
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 削足适履 mean in English?
削足适履 (xuē zú shì lǚ) literally translates to “Cut the foot to fit the shoe” and is used to express “Distort the substance to fit the form”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 削足适履 used?
Situation: They kept the deadline and cut the parts of the product that made it worth having
What is the pinyin for 削足适履?
The pinyin pronunciation for 削足适履 is “xuē zú shì lǚ”.