鹬蚌相争 yù bàng xiāng zhēng

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. sandpiper and clam war together (and the fisherman catches both) (idiom); fig. neighbors who can't agree lose out to a third party

CHARACTERS

鹬 yù snipe, kingfisher
蚌 bàng oysters, mussels; mother-of-pearl
相 xiāng mutual, reciprocal, each other
争 zhēng dispute, fight, contend, strive