That is to say, somebody saw a deer and thought it was a horse, as in the phrase "horse deer" in Japanese: 馬鹿, ばか to mean a fool or idiot:
The complete usage is:
It is "horse" vs "deer". The story goes, somebody recognized a deer as a horse, so he was a fool. So that's why "horse" "deer" means a fool. But there is more to this story. People usually won't mistake a deer for a horse, so what is the real deal? It was in the past, a royal official in some dynasty was gaining power, and he wanted to say anything and see if people just say he was right. So one day, he pointed at some deer and said it was a horse. Some other state officials said, "no, it is a deer". But some "smart" officials said, "oh yes, it is a beautiful deer". So, that powerful official knew who is "smart enough" to say a deer is a horse, to be in a team with him. It goes the same way in the current world. If the CEO or director or manager in a corporation said something that is stupid or unfair, there are people who'd point out it is unfair, but the number can be very small. Most people may keep silent, or say that the manager made the perfect decision, and it works the same way as "pointing to a deer and say it is a horse".
Is it
- People usually won't mistake a deer for a horse
or
- People usually won't mistake a deer as a horse
?
