Trying to find a Chinese saying: Stick a leek in your nose and pretend you are an elephant

[NinKenDo]

When I first started learning Chinese my girlfriend was laughing about something on WeChat, I asked her what was funny and she said one of her friends described a situation using a saying, something along the lines of "sticking a leek in your nose and pretending to be an elephant". I barely remember the exact English translation she offered along those lines and definitely don't know the Chinese. Does this ring any bells for people? I would like to employ this saying simply because it was the first folksy Chinese saying I heard and seems like it might be widely applicable.

 

Thanks.

[anonymoose]

猪鼻子插葱——装象

[mungouk]

So what's the connotation?

That you're trying to make out something (the pig) is bigger/better than it really is?

 

 

[Jim]

Like a lot of these the answer has a double meaning, pretending to be an elephant and also the homophone 装相 https://baike.baidu.com/item/装相 You can see the xiehouyu is referenced there.

[matteo]

I fished out a podcast on the subject that I randomly listened to a few months ago, I don't think it explains in much depth but I remember it as interesting and fun to listen to. 

Here's the link https://learningchinesethroughstories.com/3-1-2《猪的习语》/

[889]

Like "trying to be something you're not."

 

http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/english/chinese/2014-02/17/content_596889.htm