What Does “like Chinese arithmetic” mean?
Definition:
If something is like Chinese arithmetic, it is very hard to understand.
The origin of Chinese arithmetics
This expression is apparently not widely used in English speaking countries. It probably describes the difficulty or rigidness of something because of the assumed intricacy of the Chinese language. The term ‘arithmetic’ probably adds more complexity to the meaning. It is interesting to note that a similar meaning is conveyed with the phrase ‘it’s all Chinese to me’. (Compare it to the phrase ‘it’s all Greek to me’.)
Example(s)
I couldn’t finish the test; it was like Chinese arithmetic.
This idiom is in the nationalities category.