Human see, Human do

[rewboss]

The expression may have been inspired by a story from Mali, Africa (so no Chinese connection there), but I doubt it's supposed to represent some kind of "primitive" syntax.

It is used in less specialists contexts to explain a child's behaviour, and we usually only comment on children's behaviour when we consider it to be bad (the adult world is sometimes unfair): it's another way of saying, "I blame the parents".

The phrase has also been the title of some books and popular songs.

[Delmobile]

I didn't realize "no tickee, no washee" was highly offensive, so thank you, bakarah. Not an expression I recall ever using, but if it springs to mind, I will refrain.

How interesting about the proverbs having four characters; does this rule hold elsewhere as well? For example, I was taught the "rule of three" in playwriting to make a joke or running gag effective; do the Chinese have a "rule of four"?

The goody-two-shoes monkeys are Japanese in origin, according to Wikipedia. But there is a Chinese version with a fourth directive, "Do no evil." Wiki also tells us that "[h]e may be covering his abdomen or crotch...." What a great T-shirt opportunity.