📖 Meaning
Describes someone trembling and fidgeting uncontrollably out of extreme fear, as if nervously grasping at gods and ghosts for protection. It paints a vivid picture of a person so panic-stricken that they appear jumpy, restless, and utterly terrified.
📜 Origin Story
No definitive classical origin is recorded for this idiom. It likely emerged from Ming or Qing dynasty vernacular fiction, where vivid colloquial expressions for fear were common. The imagery of 'pinching' at gods and ghosts suggests a superstitious mindset in which a frightened person unconsciously reaches out toward spiritual forces for safety. It belongs to the broader tradition of Chinese idioms that use supernatural imagery to depict human emotions.
💡 Example Usage
夜深人静时他独自走在巷子里，捻神捻鬼地东张西望。
Walking alone through the alley late at night, he glanced around nervously, trembling with fear.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 捻神捻鬼
- Pinyin: niǎn shén niǎn guǐ
- Literal Translation: pinching gods, pinching ghosts
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4