不翼而飞
- Literal
- without wings, yet flying
- Figurative
- To vanish into thin air without anyone knowing how; less often, of a piece of news, to spread on its own at great speed.
Where does 不翼而飞 come from?
The image comes from the Guanzi, an ancient compilation of writings on statecraft. Its chapter "Jie" says that what flies without wings is the voice, word passing from mouth to mouth, using the form 无翼 rather than 不翼. The original sense, then, was of news that spreads by itself. Over time the focus shifted: today it is usually said of something that suddenly disappears without anyone knowing how, often with a note of puzzlement or suspicion; the sense of news taking flight is heard far less.
Source (出处): 《管子·戒》
How is 不翼而飞 used? Two examples
- 我刚放在桌上的钥匙，一转身就不翼而飞了。
I had just put my keys down on the table, and the moment I turned around they had vanished into thin air.
- 仓库里的一批货不翼而飞，警方已经介入调查。
A shipment of goods has disappeared from the warehouse without a trace, and the police have opened an investigation.
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