noun
greedy and cruel person; rapacious brute
A classical Chinese-derived yojijukugo used to describe someone who is both greedy and cruel, like a wild boar or a long snake. Extremely rare in modern Japanese; mostly encountered in literary or historical contexts.
「封豕長蛇」は、貪欲で残忍な人を大猪と長い蛇にたとえた故事成語だ。
"Hōshi chōda" is a classical idiom that likens a greedy and cruel person to a large wild boar and a long snake.
A yojijukugo of Chinese origin, literally meaning 'large wild boar and long snake'. It is used metaphorically to describe a person who is both greedy and cruel. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it appears in classical Chinese texts.