Legend has it that the feathers of the zhen bird are extremely poisonous.
Tips
history
饮鸩止渴 (yǐnzhènzhǐkě, 'drink poison to quench thirst') is the canonical chengyu — recorded in 《后汉书·霍谞传》 (Hòu Hàn Shū). It describes solving an immediate problem with a method that guarantees later disaster.
memory
The character is 鸟 (bird) on the right + 冘 phonetic on the left. Royal poisonings throughout Chinese history were often described as being 'gifted a cup of wine' — meaning 鸩酒 (poisoned wine).
