📖 Meaning
This idiom vividly describes highly skilled and swift needlework, where the needle seems to fly and the thread runs through the fabric. It is used to praise someone's dexterity and proficiency in sewing or embroidery. The phrase emphasizes both speed and precision in handcraft.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Tang dynasty Chan Buddhist text 'Zutang Ji' (祖堂集), in a dialogue recorded at Master Luopu's monastery. A monk asked, 'A solitary lamp does not illuminate itself—how are things within the room?' The master replied, 'When the needle flies and the thread runs, people understand it; but when embroidering on both sides, the result remains sparse.' The metaphor of flying needle and running thread was later adopted into common usage to describe deft sewing technique. It appears in classical vernacular fiction such as Feng Menglong's 'Xingshi Hengyan' during the Ming dynasty.
💡 Example Usage
她飞针走线，不一会儿就绣出了一幅精美的牡丹图。
With needle flying and thread running, she soon embroidered a beautiful peony picture.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 飞针走线
- Pinyin: fēi zhēn zǒu xiàn
- Literal Translation: fly, needle, run, thread
- Category: Skill
- Characters: 4