狼狈为奸

Pinyin:láng bèi wéi jiān

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📖 Meaning

Collude in wrongdoing.

📜 Origin

《博物志》

💡 Detailed Explanation

"Wolf and Bei Collude" is a derogatory idiom used to describe two people or two forces colluding with each other to do evil together. Among them, "wolf" and "bei" are two legendary beasts. It is said that the bei has short front legs and must lie on the wolf's body in order to move. The two often work together to harm livestock. Therefore, the ancients used "wolf and bei collude" as a metaphor for bad people cooperating with each other and depending on each other like wolf and bei. This idiom emphasizes not only cooperation, but also collusion for improper purposes, and carries a strong sense of moral condemnation. It is usually used to describe scenarios such as political conspiracies, commercial fraud, and gang crimes, expressing contempt for and criticism of those who collude. In terms of cultural background, it reflects the distinction in traditional Chinese culture between "the friendship of gentlemen" and "the friendship of petty men," warning people to be vigilant against evil forces that form alliances for personal gain. When used, it often serves as a predicate, attributive, or object, such as "They colluded like wolf and bei to harm the common people."

📝 Example

These two illegal merchants acted in collusion, deceiving consumers through false advertising. (Here it means they colluded with each other to carry out fraudulent activities together.) The mafia boss and corrupt officials colluded with each other, severely disrupting local social order. (Here it means both parties colluded together to engage in illegal and criminal activities.)