Pinyin:
xiā māo pèng shang sǐ hàozi
Meaning:
比喻某人本来不具备必然成功的条件，却偶然获得了成功。
a figure of speech that describes someone who does not have the condition for success but achieved success accidentally.
Character breakdown and explanation:
瞎：blind
猫：cat
碰：bump into
上：used after a verb to indicate a certain result
死：dead
耗子：mouse
This phrase literally means a blind cat lucky enough to come across a dead mouse, just like a pie in the sky notion that came true. This slang is used to describe someone who is extremely lucky by accomplishing something capriciously. This slang sometimes is also said as “瞎猫碰着(zháo)死耗子”.
Example sentences:
她谦虚地说：“我哪是什么作家啊，那篇文章能登出来完全是瞎猫碰上了死耗子。”
Tā qiānxū de shuō:” wǒ nǎ shì shénme zuòjiā a, nà piān wénzhāng néng dēng chūlai, wánquán shì xiā māo pèng shang le sǐ hàozi.”
She modestly said, “I’m no writer, the article got published is of sheer luck.”
A：听说你的股票又涨了？
B：我这都是瞎猫碰上死耗子了，我可不是炒股高手。
A: Tīngshuō nǐ de gǔpiào yòu zhǎng le？
B: Wǒ zhè dōu shì xiā māo pèng shang sǐ hàozi le, wǒ kě bú shì chǎogǔ gāoshǒu.
A: I hear your stock went up?
B: That was all luck. I’m not a stock expert.
1 year, 8 months ago
She modestly said, “I’m no writer, the article got published ( is ) out of sheer luck.”