📖 Meaning
Using a coarse rope to connect a fine silk ribbon. It serves as a metaphor for a successor whose talent and learning fall far short of the predecessor. The image evokes a jarring mismatch in quality between what came before and what follows.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Tang dynasty scholar Liu Zhiji's work 'Shitong' (史通), in the chapter 'Zashuo Shang' (杂说上). Liu Zhiji critiques how certain historical accounts diminished virtuous rulers while favoring treacherous ministers. He explains that these records were compiled by Confucius's disciples after his death, following the completion of the Spring and Autumn Annals. Using the metaphor of connecting fine silk with a coarse rope, he suggests the disciples' abilities could not match those of their sage master, causing their writings to diverge greatly from Confucius's own principles.
💡 Example Usage
此续书与原著相比，犹如以索续组，水平相差悬殊。
Compared to the original work, this sequel is like connecting silk with a coarse rope, the quality falling far short.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 以索续组
- Pinyin: yǐ suǒ xù zǔ
- Literal Translation: use, rope, connect, silk ribbon
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4