📖 Meaning
A metaphor for someone or something completely useless, serving only to make up the numbers. Like drafting an old woman into the army — utterly ineffective and merely filling a vacancy. It describes a situation where a person is patently unsuited for a role yet is placed there anyway.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from 'Jin Ping Mei Cihua' (金瓶梅词话), Chapter 26, written by Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng during the Ming Dynasty. In the story, a character dismisses their own words as carrying no weight, likening themselves to an old woman conscripted into the army — present only to pad the ranks. The phrase vividly captures the absurdity of assigning someone plainly unfit for the task. A later usage appears in 'Xingshi Yinyuan Zhuan' (醒世姻缘传) by Xizhousheng during the Qing Dynasty.
💡 Example Usage
派他去谈判，不过是老婆当军，充个数罢了。
Sending him to negotiate is just like drafting an old woman into the army — merely making up the numbers.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 老婆当军
- Pinyin: lǎo pó dāng jūn
- Literal Translation: old woman, serve as, soldier
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4