The Chinese love pairs, but in the case of the goat, three is best.
THREE goats form an auspicious symbol during the Lunar New Year. The Chinese idiom, San Yang Kai Tai, means “three goats bring fortune”, says sinologist Dr Lai Kuan Fook.
This idiom taken from the I Ching (Book of Changes), is also a symbol of peace, harmony and good fortune.
Of the 64 hexagrams in this ancient divination text, the Tai hexagram (No.11) is the best, says Lai.
The Goat is the eighth animal in the Chinese zodiac.
“The Chinese love eight as the number is associated with growth and prosperity,” explains Lai.
Yang, the Chinese character for goat or sheep, is a homonym which carries different meanings.
The Chinese New Year, a spring festival, is a time of merry-making. The idiom Xi Qi Tang Yang is coined to reflect a joyful atmosphere.
“Traditionally, the Chinese would let off firecrackers, beat drums and gongs to create a merry atmosphere. They deck their houses or shophouses with red and gold for auspiciousness,” says Lai.
Another idiom De Yi Yang Yang means to be pleased with oneself after having achieved something.
Wang Mao Chu Zai Yang Shen Shang literally means “getting everything from the goat”.
The idiom, Lai explains, can mean “getting everything from the source” or “passing everything (including burden) to others”. It carries a negative connotation and can be used to rant about traders who pass increased costs to consumers.
There is also a goat idiom that tells of a livestock farmer who has lost a goat. In his case, there is hope yet. Wang Yang Bu Lao, You Wei Wan Yi is an idiom that teaches one to take remedial action after making a mistake and having suffered losses.
“It means mend the fence after a goat is lost. It is still not too late for recourse,” says Lai. After all, there are other goats to save.
The idiom Dai Zui Gao Yang refers to a scapegoat.
Lai says: “It means slaughtering the goat instead of the criminal. In order words, the innocent person is punished while the guilty one gets away scot-free.”
An innocent child is referred to as Xiao Yang (innocent little goat).
The Chinese saying, Gua Yang Tou, Mai Gou Rou (display goat head but sell dog meat) refers to someone who puts on a false front. For example, he could be running a clandestine operation behind a business entity,” explains Chinese brush artist Simon Chan.
Chan has done 16 goat paintings to mark the Lunar New Year.
There are two idioms based on the fierce tiger and timid goat. E Hu Tun Yang (hungry tiger swallows goat) is a spiteful reference to a greedy person.
Yang Ru Hu Kou tells of a goat near the tiger’s mouth.
“Can you guess the conclusion? It is used to describe a person in a critical situation. The result is death, obviously,” quips Chan.
Dai Zui Gao Yang (baby goat takes the rap) refers to someone who is the sacrificial goat and has to shoulder the blame.
And no one would want to be referred to as Shun Shou Qian Yang. It speaks of an opportunist who seizes the moment to rob someone. Like the passer-by at an accident scene who rushes in to steal from the injured instead of helping him!
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