“An old cow licks her calf ” is an idiom that metaphorically describes parents' deep love for their children. Its core meaning is to describe parents caring and nurturing their children like an old cow licks her calf. This idiom originates from historical allusions and carries a profound understanding of family affection in traditional culture, which is often used in literary or everyday contexts to express selfless parental love.
The origin of idioms can be traced back to the biography of Yang Biao in the Book of Later Han. During the Three Kingdoms period, strategist Yang Xiu was exceptionally intelligent and liked to show off his knowledge who did not know how to hide his strength and bide his time, so he was feared and killed by Cao Cao. His father Yang Biao was deeply saddened and gradually lost weight. One day, Cao Cao met Yang Biao on the road. When asked about the reason, Yang Biao responded with “still holding the love of an old cow licking her calf”, implying that he could not let go of the pain of losing his son. This story not only showcases Yang Biao's patience and wisdom, but also makes the act of "licking a calf" a concrete symbol of parental love, gradually evolving into a fixed idiom.
From the perspective of emotional connotation, “an old cow licks her calf” not only reflects physical care, but also emphasizes spiritual concern. The action of an old cow licking her calf not only has a practical effect of cleaning its fur and promoting blood circulation, but also implies a soothing and intimate emotional transmission. This dual attribute precisely corresponds to the characteristic of parents balancing material security and emotional support when raising their children, making idioms transcend simple animal instinct descriptions and sublimate into symbols of human family ethics.
“老牛舐犊”是一个比喻父母对子女深切疼爱的成语，其核心含义是形容父母如同老牛舔舐小牛一般，对子女关怀备至、呵护有加。这一成语源于历史典故，承载着传统文化中对亲情的深刻理解，常被用于文学或日常语境中表达无私的亲子之爱。
成语的典故可追溯至《后汉书•杨彪传》。三国时期，谋士杨修才智过人，喜欢卖弄自己的学问，不懂得韬光养晦，因而遭曹操忌惮而被杀，其父杨彪悲痛万分，渐渐身形消瘦。有一天，曹操在路上遇见杨彪，问及原因时，杨彪以“犹怀老牛舐犊之爱”回应，暗喻自己无法割舍丧子之痛。这一故事既展现了杨彪的隐忍与智慧，也让“舐犊”的行为成为父母之爱的具象化符号，逐渐演变为固定成语。
从情感内涵来看，“老牛舐犊”不仅体现生理层面的照料，更强调精神层面的牵挂。老牛舔舐小牛的动作既有清洁皮毛、促进血液循环的实际作用，也暗含安抚与亲密的情感传递。这种双重属性恰好对应了父母在养育子女时兼顾物质保障与情感支持的特点，使成语超越了单纯的动物本能描述，升华为人类家庭伦理的象征。
