lịnh ông không bằng cồng bà

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

Meaning · English

His lordship's order is less than her ladyship's gong — the household's real chain of command.

Literally: his command not equal to her gong

Examples

Lệnh ông không bằng cồng bà.His order yields to her gong.

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 “lịnh ông không bằng cồng bà” mean?

His lordship's order is less than her ladyship's gong — the household's real chain of command. Literally: his command not equal to her gong

Is “lịnh ông không bằng cồng bà” formal or informal?

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