bà già bốc mắm
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
An old woman scooping fish paste with her fingers — a sloppy worker who makes a mess of whatever she touches.
Literally: old lady ladling shrimp paste by hand
Sources & notes
Discovered via Vietnamese Wiktionary, Thể loại:Thành ngữ tiếng Việt (CC BY-SA 4.0); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “bà già bốc mắm” mean?
An old woman scooping fish paste with her fingers — a sloppy worker who makes a mess of whatever she touches. Literally: old lady ladling shrimp paste by hand
Is “bà già bốc mắm” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.