画蛇添足

畫蛇添足
huàshétiānzú
  1. lit. draw legs on a snake (idiom); fig. to ruin the effect by adding sth superfluous
  2. to overdo it

CEDICT

Entry Composition

1 画 huà
  1. to draw; to paint
  2. to draw (a line) (variant of 划 huà)
  3. stroke of a Chinese character (variant of 划 huà)
  4. (calligraphy) horizontal stroke (variant of 划 huà)

classifiers: 幅, 張
=2 蛇 shé variant of 蛇 shé
=2 蛇 shé
  1. snake
  2. serpent

classifier: 條
3 添 tiān to add; to increase; to replenish
4 足 zú
  1. (bound form) foot; leg
  2. sufficient; ample
  3. as much as; fully