虎の威を借る狐
Japanese
| Kanji in this term | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 虎 | 威 | 借 | 狐 |
| とら Grade: S | い Grade: S | か Grade: 4 | きつね Hyōgaiji |
Etymology
Literally, "the fox who borrows the might of the tiger." Calque of Literary Chinese 狐藉虎威.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [to̞ɾa̠ no̞ i o̞ ka̠ɾɯ̟ᵝ kʲit͡sɨᵝne̞]
Noun
虎の威を借る狐 (hiragana とらのいをかるきつね, rōmaji tora no i o karu kitsune)
- donkey in a lion's skin; one who borrows the authority of someone else and acts arrogant