只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯 meaning

汉英词典

MEANING OF 只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯

只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯
(只許州官放火，不許百姓點燈)

Definition only the official is allowed to light the fire / Gods may do what cattle may not / quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi

Idiom It means that the reactionary ruler can do anything wrong, but the ordinary people are even restricted from their legitimate activities

Usage

中文释义《老学庵笔记》卷五载宋代田登做州官，不许提他的名字，因登”与灯”同音，就把点灯”叫成点火”，元宵节放灯，说成放火”，布告写本州依例放火三日”◇遂用只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯”比喻统治者自己可以为所欲为，却不许人民有一点自由。也比喻只管自己胡作非为，专制蛮横，却不许别人有正当的权利。

Characters 只 zhǐ/zhī 许 (許) xǔ 州 zhōu 官 guān 放 fàng 火 huǒ 不 bù/bú 百 bǎi 姓 xìng 点 (點) diǎn 灯 (燈) dēng

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