畫餅充飢

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Chinese

draw; picture; painting
round flat cake; cookie; cake
round flat cake; cookie; cake; pastry
 
 to allay one's hunger; to satisfy one's hunger
trad. (畫餅充飢/畫餅充饑) 畫 餅 充飢/充饑
simp. (画饼充饥) 画 饼 充饥
anagram 充飢畫餅／充饥画饼
Literally: “to draw a flatbread to allay one's hunger”.

Etymology

Quoted from Cao Rui, from the Records of the Three Kingdoms:

時舉中書郎，詔曰：「得其人與否，在盧生耳。選舉莫取有名，名如畫地作餅，不可啖也。」 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
时举中书郎，诏曰：「得其人与否，在卢生耳。选举莫取有名，名如画地作饼，不可啖也。」 [Literary Chinese, simp.]
From: Chen Shou, Records of the Three Kingdoms, circa 3rd century CE
Shí jǔ zhōngshūláng, zhào yuē: “Dé qí rén yǔ fǒu, zài Lúshēng ěr. Xuǎnjǔ mò qǔ yǒumíng, míng rú huàdì zuò bǐng, bùkě dàn yě.”
At that time the Emperor of Wei was hiring the Central Secretary. He issued an edict to Lu Yu: “Whether we can hire the person depends on you. Please do not pick those who only have fame . Fame is just like a flatbread drawn on the ground, you cannot eat it.”

Pronunciation

Idiom

畫餅充飢

  1. (figurative) to feed on illusions; (of something attractive-looking) to be of no actual use; like a pie in the sky

See also

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia