The idioms and explanations about losing something big because of a small thing are as follows:

Loving a crane loses the public

It is a metaphor for losing something big because of a small thing.

Source: "Zuo Zhuan: The Second Year of Min Gong": "When the Di people attacked Wei, Wei Yigong liked cranes, and cranes had people who took Xuan. When the battle was about to begin, the people of the country who received armor all said: 'Shihe , Crane has a salary and position, how can I fight?'" It is used as an object and attributive; it refers to losing a big thing because of a small thing.

Build a house to hunt for civet cats

Demolish the house in order to catch civet cats.

Source: "Huainanzi·Shuo Shan Xun": "Broken the pond to get turtles, built a house to get raccoons, dug a house to get rats, cut the lips to cure caries, the disciples of Jie Zhizhi, a gentleman does not With. ”

Dig into the house to catch mice

Dig into the house to catch mice. A metaphor for losing a big thing due to small things.

Source: "Huainanzi·Shuo Shan Xun": "Broken the pond to get turtles, built a house to get raccoons, dug a house to get rats, cut the lips to cure caries, the disciples of Jie Zhizhi, a gentleman does not With. ”

Cherish means missing the palm

Cherish: be stingy. Losing a palm because of reluctance to part with a finger. A metaphor for losing a big thing due to small things. -- An idiom describing someone who loses a big thing due to a small thing

Source: "The Biography of Ruan Dianfu in Southern History": "There was also a prostitute named Zhang Yao in Hehui, Lujiang, who was beautiful and favored... When she saw the Zhang family, she liked her and asked for her frequently. Hui said: "Hui can be obtained, but this person cannot be obtained." The tenant brushed his clothes and left the house, saying: "Is it true that I lost my hand?" Then he satirized a company to fight for the chicken."

Losing a sheep

It is a metaphor for being greedy for small things and losing big things.

Source: Volume 8 of "Yi Lin" by Jiao Yanshou of the Han Dynasty: "If you fight for a chicken, you will lose a sheep, and you will lose its gold bag."

If you fight for a cat, you will lose a cow.

The cow was lost in the fight for the cat. A metaphor for greed for small things and loss of big things.

Source: Chapter 70 of "Qilu Deng" by Li Luyuan of the Qing Dynasty: "The real fight is to make the cat lose the cow.

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