Mr.Yoshihiko Noda inaugurated as the 95th Prime Minister of Japan on August 30th by winning the race among five candidates for Japan’s  ruling party, JDP’s leader election. 

The phrase he likened himself as a “dojo” (loach), with which he wrapped up his manifestation address, by saying “I’m like a dojo. It’s no use for a dojo to behave like (or imitates) a goldfish,” became suddenly a hot word among Japanese electorates, and it was even quoted in several major media in western countries.

By saying “I’m a dojo. It’s no use for a dojo to behave like a goldfish,” he meant he is determined to pursue for steady, realistic and actionable goals and impliment down-to -earth policies rather than chasing after gaudy, dreamy, but unachievable goals (as his predecessors have done in the past two decades and all failed). He borrowed this line from a popular poet called Mitsuo Aida known for the lines of his zen-like poem.

I wonder if there are any (or many) metaphors and popular lines in English speaking countries that can be equated with the line, “It’s no use for a dojo to behave like a goldfish.” I would like to show off my trove of imported phrases to my English enthusiast buddies.