鱼目混珠(魚目混珠)

Pronunciation: yú mù hùn zhū Literal meaning: Fish eyes as pearls

Origin & Usage

This deceptive idiom describes passing off fish eyes (鱼目) as pearls (珠) through deliberate mixing (混), originating from Han Dynasty market regulations. Historical records mention how unscrupulous merchants would polish fish eyeballs to resemble valuable pearls, taking advantage of superficial similarities to deceive inexperienced buyers. The practice became so common that specific penalties were established for this fraud. During the Tang Dynasty, the phrase expanded beyond literal marketplace deception to describe any attempt to pass off inferior items as premium goods. Modern usage encompasses all forms of fraudulent misrepresentation, particularly situations where exploitation of superficial similarities enables deception about fundamental value.

When to Use

Situation: The seller tried to deceive customers by selling fake antiques as genuine artifacts

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