📖 Meaning
Describes things as trivial, fragmented, and lacking any coherent system or structure. It is used for minor, scattered matters that are individually insignificant but collectively bothersome.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase comes from the modern Chinese writer Mao Dun (茅盾), who coined it in his essay collection '雨天杂写' (Miscellaneous Writings on a Rainy Days). In the preface, Mao Dun explained that because the collection's topics were miscellaneous and lacked unity, he chose this apt name for them. Unlike many idioms rooted in classical antiquity, this is a deliberately coined expression from early twentieth-century vernacular literature.
💡 Example Usage
这些鸡零狗碎的小事，你就不必再放在心上了。
You shouldn't keep dwelling on these trivial, fragmented matters.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 鸡零狗碎
- Pinyin: jī líng gǒu suì
- Literal Translation: chicken fragments, dog pieces
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4