📖 Meaning
Not off by a single hair or a fraction of a centimeter. It describes something done with absolute precision, without the slightest deviation or error. Used to praise meticulous accuracy in calculation, measurement, or execution.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase traces back to the Warring States period philosopher Xunzi (荀子), specifically the chapter 'Ruxiao' (儒效, The Effect of the Confucian). Xunzi wrote that a sage is one who upholds benevolence and righteousness, judges right and wrong correctly, aligns words with deeds, and does not err by even a hair's breadth (不失豪厘). The character 豪 was later replaced by the interchangeable 毫, both denoting an extremely fine unit of measure. The expression has since become a general idiom for flawless precision.
💡 Example Usage
老工匠用这把旧尺量出来的尺寸不失毫厘，分毫不差。
The measurements the old craftsman took with this worn ruler were exact, not off by a hair's breadth.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 不失毫厘
- Pinyin: bù shī háo lí
- Literal Translation: not, lose, hair, centimeter
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4