bull in a china shop
3
7.2
- idiom
- Informal
:
elefante en una cacharrería
- Participant 1 said, "I sometimes am like a bull in a china shop, working harder than others and imposing my sense of right and wrong on others' work."
- the proverbial bull in a china shop
Examples
-
We don't want to approach them like a bull in a china shop, you understand?
-
That's me, a big old bull in a china shop.
Fiction book (1998) -
I always felt like a bull in a china shop.
Blog text (24) -
I think our poet has the look of a bull in a china shop.
Fiction book (1990) -
You're a bull in a china shop, but we'd follow you anywhere.
-
Well, let's just say he's got the finesse of a bull in a china shop.
-
Some have wondered if Rice, who has a bull-in-a-china-shop reputation, is diplomatic enough for the top diplomatic job.
Blog text (8) -
I do worry a bit that I have hit your blog like a "bull in a china shop"... actually, I saw a piece where they actually sent a bull through a china shop; he didn't break a thing... but I digress.
Blog text (10) -
Meanwhile, Rothrock's been stumbling around like a wounded bull in a china shop, and I really can't think of any significant contributions by Lashley.
Blog text (16) -
When discussing sensitive topics, she tends to act like a bull in a china shop.
Synonyms
1
7.8
A person who is clumsy and insensitive in delicate situations
1
7.8
A person who often makes serious mistakes because they are careless
How Clumsy
- Offensive
1
7.8
- Informal
3
7.2
- Offensive
22
8.2
- Informal
1
8.1
33
3.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and predictably derived from the constituents: a 'bull' (large/clumsy) placed 'in' a 'china shop' (a place of fragile goods) evokes someone who behaves clumsily or tactlessly in a delicate situation. This concrete visual metaphor follows common sense and cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the component words is likely to infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
The idiom bull in a china shop comes from the image of a big bull loose in a small china shop full of fragile dishes. The bull would crash and break things, so the phrase now describes a person who is 'clumsy' or 'tactless' in a delicate situation.