buôn dầm cầm chèo
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Paddle in one hand, oar in the other — hands never once at rest.
Literally: trade the paddle, hold the oar
Sources & notes
Discovered via Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “buôn dầm cầm chèo” mean?
Paddle in one hand, oar in the other — hands never once at rest. Literally: trade the paddle, hold the oar
Is “buôn dầm cầm chèo” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.