急来抱佛脚

Traditional (Taiwan): 急來抱佛腳

jíláibàofójiǎo ㄐㄧˊ ㄌㄞˊ ㄅㄠˋ ㄈㄛˊ ㄐㄧㄠˇ

    • to make an effort only at the last minute
    • to cram

Character by character

Saying俗语俗語

Idiom惯用语 · In everyday use

Literally
when in a hurry, hug the Buddha's feet
Meaning
Only make an effort at the last minute when trouble arrives, e.g. cramming just before an exam. Critical. Cf. "locking the stable door after the horse has bolted" or "cramming."

Sources