"Bu Jing Er Zou" literally means "to run without legs," where "jing" refers to the lower leg, and "zou" in ancient Chinese means "to run." This idiom originates from Wang Chong's Lunheng (Discourses Weighed in the Balance) of the Eastern Han dynasty. It originally referred to things spreading on their own without any external force, and later came to specifically describe the rapid spread of news, information, rumors, or certain ideas and trends that become widely known without deliberate promotion. It emphasizes the spontaneity and speed of transmission, usually carrying a neutral or slightly surprised emotional tone, and can be used for both the rapid diffusion of positive news and the spread of negative rumors. In terms of usage scenarios, it is mostly employed to describe the phenomenon of information circulating quickly among people, on the internet, or in society. Culturally, it reflects the ancients' keen observation of information dissemination phenomena and demonstrates the vividness of Chinese in using a concrete action (running) to metaphorize an abstract process (spreading). The deeper meaning lies in the fact that truly influential things can often break through physical limitations and spread rapidly by virtue of their own appeal or people's attention.
📝 Example
1. The news that the company was about to lay off employees spread like wildfire, and within half a day, everyone in the company knew about it.
2. His act of courage and justice spread like wildfire, quickly becoming known throughout the entire community, and everyone praised him for it.