có tiếng mà không có miếng
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The name without the mouthful — credited with a share that never reaches the plate.
Literally: have the reputation, lack the morsel
Examples
Làm trưởng nhóm mà có tiếng không có miếng.Team lead in name, with none of the mouthful.
Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)
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 “có tiếng mà không có miếng” mean?
The name without the mouthful — credited with a share that never reaches the plate. Literally: have the reputation, lack the morsel
Is “có tiếng mà không có miếng” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.