đánh rắn không dập đầu
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Striking the snake without crushing the head — the job left exactly unfinished enough to bite back.
Literally: beat the snake, not smashing the head
Sources & notes
Discovered via Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “đánh rắn không dập đầu” mean?
Striking the snake without crushing the head — the job left exactly unfinished enough to bite back. Literally: beat the snake, not smashing the head
Is “đánh rắn không dập đầu” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.