đen đầu thì bỏ, đỏ đầu thì nuôi

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Black-haired, abandoned; red-haired, raised — the foundling's fate decided by a glance at the crown.

Literally: dark head: discard; red head: rear
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 “đen đầu thì bỏ, đỏ đầu thì nuôi” mean?

Black-haired, abandoned; red-haired, raised — the foundling's fate decided by a glance at the crown. Literally: dark head: discard; red head: rear

Is “đen đầu thì bỏ, đỏ đầu thì nuôi” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.