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不胫而走

不脛而走
bùjìng'érzǒu
idiom #45,244

Meanings

  1. 1 to spread rapidly without being promoted
  2. 2 to get around fast
  3. 3 to spread like wildfire (of news or rumor)

Examples

消息不胫而走，第二天全城都知道了。
Xiāoxi bùjìng'érzǒu, dì èr tiān quán chéng dōu zhīdào le.
The news spread like wildfire — by the next day the whole city knew.
他获奖的消息不胫而走。
Tā huòjiǎng de xiāoxi bùjìng'érzǒu.
Word of his prize spread fast on its own.
这首歌没有宣传，却不胫而走，红遍全国。
Zhè shǒu gē méiyǒu xuānchuán, què bùjìng'érzǒu, hóng biàn quánguó.
The song had no promotion, yet it spread by itself and became a hit nationwide.

Tips

history
From Kong Rong's Han-dynasty 《论盛孝章书》: 珠玉无胫而自至者，以人好之也 — 'pearls and jade have no legs, yet come to people of their own accord, because people love them.' Originally about precious things attracting their owners; now almost exclusively about news/rumors.
memory
胫 = shin/lower leg; 走 = classical 'run'. Literally 'without legs yet running' — news with no feet somehow travels.

Stroke Order

不 bù
胫 jìng
而 ér
走 zǒu