không ăn ốc phải đổ vỏ
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Never ate the snails, still stuck with the shells — the mess assigned to whoever missed the meal.
Literally: didn't eat the snails, must dump the shells
Examples
Kẻ ăn ốc, người đổ vỏ.One eats the snails; another hauls the shells.
Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)
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 “không ăn ốc phải đổ vỏ” mean?
Never ate the snails, still stuck with the shells — the mess assigned to whoever missed the meal. Literally: didn't eat the snails, must dump the shells
Is “không ăn ốc phải đổ vỏ” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.