How did the word "make a fool of yourself" come from?

The word "making a fool of yourself" is interpreted in modern Chinese dictionaries as: joking; Make a fool of yourself. So, where did the word "make a fool of yourself" come from? What's the story?

It is said that during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty implemented the policy of opening to the outside world, which set off the first overseas frenzy in China's modern history. As the saying goes, "the advantage of water is in the early month, and the flowers and trees in the sun are in the early spring." Manchu court officials used their power to find various excuses to go abroad, so as to raise their status and show their glory. So at that time, a wave of going abroad will rise like a flat wave, and it will be rampant.

But these imperial officials who went abroad seem to be knowledgeable, brilliant and knowledgeable, but in fact they are short-sighted and ignorant. As soon as they step into the dazzling western world, they will always make a fool of themselves.

Li Hongzhang, governor of Zhili and minister of Beiyang, is one of the most representative.

When Li Hongzhang, Minister of Beiyang, visited London, England, he paid homage to the monument of the late British general Gordon. Gordon's bereaved family was very grateful and presented him with the precious dog that won the first prize in various dog racing conferences.

who knows, a few days later, the Gordon family received a thank-you letter from Li Hongzhang, which read as follows: I am very grateful for your kindness, but I am too old to eat more, so I enjoy the delicacies.

qi, 7 years old, is generally called elder. Eating, encouraging cheeks and chewing means it is difficult to eat. Thanks to Cambodia, it was learned that the precious puppy presented by foreigners has become the belly of Li Hongzhang's adult. In Britain, which has a tradition of caring for animals, this move caused great dissatisfaction and strong protest from local animal protection organizations. The local newspaper was in an uproar about it, making a fuss and passing it on as a joke.

Another representative figure who made a fool of himself was Cui Gong, then the Qing embassy in Britain. This man has always been greedy for money, and his family was found out after stealing towels from the pub, which made him notorious. What's more, in order to earn extra income, Cui Gong even asked his wife to clean the clothes of all diplomats in the British Embassy. After washing, the clothes are aired inside and outside the embassy, and the foot-binding cloth is publicly hung in front of the main entrance of the embassy.

when the British saw the long white cloth fluttering in the wind, they all thought something was wrong, so they quickly sent someone to visit them, only then did they know the reason. This incident made the Qing court embassy in Britain very embarrassed and embarrassed. Western journalists have photographed these scenes and published them in the headlines of local newspapers, which has become a big scandal in the Qing Dynasty and a laughing stock.

from the above historical facts, we can see how corrupt the government and officials in the late Qing dynasty were, stuck in their laurels, arrogant and arrogant, behind closed doors and ridiculous! No wonder foreigners at that time really looked down on China people!

These disgraceful scandals and jokes are all made by the so-called imperial officials and government officials, such as the Minister of Beiyang and the Minister in Britain. In this way, people are used to calling this gaffe of overseas officials "making a fool of yourself".

With the development of the times, the meaning of the word "making a fool of yourself" has expanded. Now people call all jokes caused by ignorance or negligence "making a fool of yourself".

This is the origin of the phrase "make a fool of yourself".