削足適履

See also: 削足适履

Chinese

to reduce; to pare (away); to cut (down)
to reduce; to pare (away); to cut (down); to scrape
 
 foot; to be sufficient to fit; to suit shoe; to tread on
trad. (削足適履) 削 足 適 履
simp. (削足适履) 削 足 适 履
Literally: “to slice off one's foot so that it will fit inside a shoe”.

Etymology

From Huainanzi, Volume 17:

夫所以養而害所養，譬猶削足而適履，殺頭而便冠。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
夫所以养而害所养，譬犹削足而适履，杀头而便冠。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Huainanzi, 2nd century BCE
Fú suǒyǐ yǎng ér hài suǒ yǎng, pìyóu xuē zú ér shì lǚ, shā tóu ér biàn guàn. [Pinyin]
If a man damages his health trying to obtain things used to preserve his health, this is somewhat the same as cutting one's feet to fit the shoes, or chopping one's head in order to wear a hat more comfortably.

Pronunciation

Idiom

削足適履

  1. (figurative) to force an impractical solution to a problem; to blindly apply
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