248Japanese idiom 四字熟語
蛇足
だそくDasoku
“Legs on a snake.”
The meaning
The contest was won — but the painter, overzealous, added legs to his snake and lost. The extra addition undoes the work: knowing when to stop is a skill.
At the origin
A Chinese anecdote, now the Japanese word for "the superfluous addition".
The characters
In practice
Before adding, ask whether the work is not already finished.
Editorial note
Chinese anecdote (Stratagems of the Warring States).
Themes
In the collections · Yohaku