墨守成规

墨守成[陈]规 [mò shǒu chéng guī]

1. ■ stick in the mud; adhere to old habits; be fettered by old conventions; follow a stereotype routine; get [fall] into a groove; get into a rut; go round like a horse in a mill; methodism; move [run] in a rut [groove]; stay in a rut; stick to established practice; stick to the accustomed rules [established practice; precedents; old methods]:

他是个墨守成规的人。 He is a routineer.;

这就是墨守成规， 不愿进步。 This was a refusal to change, to make progress.

我害怕的就是墨守成规。 人总是向往新思想和新观念的。 What I dread is to get into a rut. One yearns for freshness of thought and ideas.

他缺乏首创精神，墨守成规地办一切事情。 He showed little initiative, handling all matters strictly by the book.