📖 Meaning
Describes someone swaggering and eager to show off, like a beast raising its tail and sharpening its horns. It conveys an arrogant, competitive attitude of trying to dominate others. Used to depict people who are boastful and combative in demeanor.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from a preface by the Qing dynasty scholar Qian Qianyi (钱谦益), titled 'Preface to the Poems of Feng Sicao' (《冯巳苍诗序》). Qian describes how at banquets and gatherings, debates would flare up with guests citing ancient texts to prove their points, each raising their tail and sharpening their horns — swaggering with self-importance — claiming to represent the singular learning of the Feng family, while critics found nothing to challenge them. The imagery of an animal puffing itself up captures the boastful, combative spirit of intellectual one-upmanship.
💡 Example Usage
他在会上矫尾厉角地炫耀自己的见解，旁人都不愿搭理他。
At the meeting he swaggered and showed off his opinions, and no one else wanted to engage with him.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 矫尾厉角
- Pinyin: jiǎo wěi lì jiǎo
- Literal Translation: raise tail, sharpen horn
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4