📖 Meaning
Describes a situation, effort, or endeavor that begins with great energy and ambition but ends weakly or is left unfinished. The vivid imagery contrasts the formidable tiger's head with the thin, feeble snake's tail to convey a dramatic drop-off in commitment or quality.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom emerged from Yuan dynasty vernacular literature and drama, where the striking image of a tiger's head paired with a snake's tail was used to mock those who made grand plans but failed to see them through. It appears in multiple Yuan dynasty plays and popular fiction of the era as a colorful metaphor for inconsistency. The phrase crystallized into a fixed four-character idiom during the Ming and Qing dynasties, when it was widely used in novels such as 《水浒传》 to criticize characters who lacked follow-through.
💡 Example Usage
这个项目刚开始时声势浩大，各部门都投入了大量资源，但几个月后就虎头蛇尾，没人再过问了。
The project started with great fanfare, with every department pouring in resources, but a few months later it fizzled out completely and nobody bothered to follow up.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 虎头蛇尾
- Pinyin: hǔ tóu shé wěi
- Literal Translation: tiger head, snake tail
- Category: Perseverance
- Characters: 4