"Chicken and dogs are not at peace" literally means that even the chickens and dogs cannot remain undisturbed. It describes a situation in which harassment, destruction, or noise is so severe that the surrounding environment is thrown into extreme chaos, and even poultry and livestock are disturbed. This idiom comes from Liu Zongyuan's Collected Works of Liu Hedong in the Tang dynasty. The original text describes government officials levying exorbitant taxes and ruthlessly oppressing the people, disturbing them so much that even their chickens and dogs had no peace, profoundly reflecting the suffering brought to the people by social turmoil. In terms of usage, it is mostly used to describe chaotic situations caused by war, banditry, noise, or frequent disturbances. It can refer both to actual harassment and to a metaphor for spiritual unrest. In emotional coloring, it carries a clear derogatory meaning, expressing condemnation of and dissatisfaction with the harasser or the chaotic state. In terms of cultural background, chickens and dogs were symbols of household peace in ancient China's agrarian society, so "chicken and dogs are not at peace" vividly conveys the image of a complete breakdown of tranquility.
📝 Example
1. The sound of electric drills from the renovation upstairs went on from morning till night, making the residents of the entire building restless and uneasy. (Describing how noise severely disrupts people's normal lives.)
2. This criminal gang ran rampant in the village, turning it upside down and making life miserable for the villagers. (Describing how harassment and destruction by bad people leave a place in turmoil.)