As cool as a cucumber
The Chinese reads: Cong Rong Bu Po, which literally means something like “ever calm, no hurry”. We use it to describe people who don’t get flustered, and remain cool-headed. There is an interesting story behind the idiom.
In the Warring States Period, between 475-221 BC, two philosophers, Zhuang Zi and Hui Zi, were strolling along the Haoshui River, in today’s Anhui Province. They stopped and looked at a fish swimming in the river.
Zhuang Zi said, “Look, that fish is swimming along so leisurely. It’s enjoying itself.”
Huizi said: “You are not the fish. How do you know it’s enjoying itself?”
Zhuang Zi replied, “You are not me. How can you be so sure that I don’t know it’s enjoying itself?”
Hui Zi said, “I’m not you, so of course I don’t know whether you are happy or not. But you are certainly not the fish. It’s certain that you don’t know if it’s happy.”
Zhuang Zi paused. “Let’s start from the beginning,” he said patiently. “You asked me just now how I knew the fish was having a good time. This means you know that I know whether the fish is happy, otherwise you would not have asked me this question. Let me explain. I figured out the fish was happy because I myself was having a good time. I am enjoying the peace and quiet of this beautiful Haoshui River with you. We walk, talk, and look at the fish so leisurely, without a care in the world. We are having a good time. The fish plays in the water and looks at us like we look at him, calm and relaxed. Of course the fish feels the same way as we do, very happy.”
From Zhuang Zi’s description of the fish, we get the idiom Cong Rong Bu Po – relaxed, as cool as a cucumber. We use it to describe someone who takes his or her time to do something, and who doesn’t get in a panic.
