1. The devil wears Prada.
Myth: Dress neatly like an individual, but act like an animal. Metaphor is a person with corrupt moral character.
Original intention: praise officials for their prominent position and superior ability.
The word devil wears Prada comes from the costumes of officials in the Ming Dynasty. According to the Ming Dynasty, civil servants embroidered birds and military officers painted animals. Different grades, embroidered birds and animals are different, the specific provisions are:
Civil servants wear robes and embroider cranes; Second-class robe, embroidered with golden pheasant; Sanpin Fei robe, embroidered peacock; Robe, embroidered cloud and wild goose; Five-level blue robe, embroidered silver pheasant; Six blue robes, embroidered egrets; Seven green robes, embroidered streams; Eight green robes, embroidered orioles; Make green robes and embroider quails.
A military commander tastes a robe and draws a unicorn; Two products Fei robe, draw a lion; Three robes, painting tigers; Four robes, painting leopards; Five green robes, draw bears; Six products, seven products blue robe, painting tiger; Eight green robes, painting rhinoceros; Make green robes and draw seahorses. So when the word was invented, it was a commendatory term, referring to an official.
By the middle and late Ming Dynasty, eunuchs were autocratic and politically corrupt. Civil servants love money, but military commanders fear death. The people were oppressed by officials, and the word began to have a derogatory meaning. People call those corrupt, evil and morally corrupt officials "the devil wears Prada".
2. stupid
Misunderstanding: described as extremely stupid.
Original intention: From The Analects of Confucius Gongye Chang: Ning my son, the country knows when there is a way, and the country is stupid when there is no way. Its knowledge is available, and its stupidity is also.
It means: Ning Wuzi was a talent when the country was too peaceful; When the country is in chaos, it behaves foolishly. His cleverness is what others can do; His confusion is beyond others' comprehension.
The original meaning of this word is that people play dumb in order to cope with unfavorable situations and avoid disasters, which is beyond the reach of ordinary people. Describing people as stupid and smart has now become the opposite meaning.
3. alarmist talk
Misunderstanding: dangerous words and deeds.
Original intention: From The Analects of Confucius: When there is a state-owned road, danger means danger; when there is no road in the state, it means talking about grandchildren.
It means: the country's politics is clear, its words are upright, and its behavior is upright; The country's politics is dark, but it should be honest, but easy-going and cautious.
This is Confucius' way of educating students, and only in this way can disaster be avoided. Danger is "integrity", and dangerous words are "speaking integrity and doing integrity", not "danger".