失之毫厘,谬以千里
shī zhī háo lí , miù yǐ qiān lǐ
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1 a tiny lapse can lead to a huge mistake (idiom); a minor discrepancy leading to enormous losses
差之毫厘,谬以千里
chā zhī háo lí , miù yǐ qiān lǐ
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1 the slightest difference leads to a huge error (idiom)
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2 a miss is as good as a mile
磨刀不误砍柴工
mó dāo bù wù kǎn chái gōng
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1 lit. sharpening the axe won't make the wood-splitting take longer (idiom)
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2 fig. time invested in preparations is not lost
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3 a beard well lathered is half shaved
聪明反被聪明误
cōng míng fǎn bèi cōng míng wù
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1 a clever person may become the victim of his own ingenuity (idiom); cleverness may overreach itself
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2 too smart for one's own good
荒谬绝伦
huāng miù jué lún
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1 absolutely ridiculous (idiom); preposterous
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2 the height of folly
误入歧途
wù rù qí tú
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1 to take a wrong step in life (idiom)
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2 to go astray
谬种流传
miù zhǒng liú chuán
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1 to pass on errors or lies (idiom); the propagation of misconceptions