北轅適楚
běi​yuán​shì​chǔ

at cross-purposes

  • created sense approved 北辕适楚/北轅適楚 · běi​yuán​shì​chǔ · at cross-purposes — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    北辕适楚 / 北轅適楚

    běi​yuán​shì​chǔ

    at cross-purposes

    to head north when wanting to go to the southern state of Chu; to act in a way that defeats one's own purpose

    北 (literal) → 北 · běi · north 辕 (literal) → 辕/轅 · yuán · shafts 适 (literal) → 适/適 · shì · to go 楚 (literal) → 楚 · chǔ · Chu State

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense