覆酒甕

From the Book of Jin:

初，陸機入洛，欲為此賦，聞思作之，撫掌而笑，與弟雲書曰：「此間有傖父，欲作《三都賦》，須其成，當以覆酒甕耳。」及思賦出，機絕歎伏，以為不能加也，遂輟筆焉。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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初，陆机入洛，欲为此赋，闻思作之，抚掌而笑，与弟云书曰：「此间有伧父，欲作《三都赋》，须其成，当以覆酒瓮耳。」及思赋出，机绝叹伏，以为不能加也，遂辍笔焉。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: 648 CE, Fang Xuanling (lead editor), Book of Jin

Chū, Lù Jī rù Luò, yù wèicǐ fù, wén Sī zuò zhī, fǔzhǎng ér xiào, yǔ dì Yún shū yuē: “Cǐ jiān yǒu cāngfù, yù zuò “Sāndū fù”, xū qí chéng, dāng yǐ fùjiǔwèng ěr.” Jí Sī fù chū, jī jué tàn fú, yǐwèi bùnéng jiā yě, suì chuòbǐ yān. [Pinyin]

At first, Lu Ji came to Luoyang, and he wanted to compose an ode for it. When he heard that Zuo Si is writing one, he clapped his hands with scoffing, writing to his younger brother Lu Yun, saying: "There is a coarse man here planning to write a series of odes to the three capitals, and when it is finished, it shall be used to cover a wine jar!" But when Zuo Si finished his ode, Lu Ji appreciated it very much, believing it could not be improved anymore, so he stopped writing his own.

覆酒甕

1. (literary) used to describe a worthless book or work

• 覆醬瓿／覆酱瓿 (fù jiàngbù)