Idiom: chop and change.
Pronunciation: zhāo sān mù sì?
Meaning: The original metaphor is that smart people are good at using means, while stupid people are not good at distinguishing things. Later, the metaphor was capricious.
Source: Zhuangzi's Theory of Everything.
Extended data allusions:
During the Warring States Period, there was an old man who raised monkeys in the State of Song. He keeps many monkeys in the yard. The old man gives each monkey four chestnuts every morning and evening.
A few years later, the old man's economy is getting less and less affluent, but the number of monkeys is increasing, so he wants to change the number of chestnuts he eats every day from eight to seven, so he discusses with the monkeys: "From today on, I will give you three chestnuts every morning and four chestnuts as usual at night. I wonder if you agree? " .
Hearing this, the monkeys all thought that one was missing in the morning. So one by one began to squeak, shout and jump around, as if reluctant. When the old man saw this situation, he quickly changed his tune and said, "Then I'll give you four in the morning and three in the evening. Is that all right? " . Hearing this, the monkeys thought that Xiaomi had changed from three o'clock in the morning to four o'clock, and rolled happily on the ground as before.