một lần cho tởn đến già, chớ đi nước mặn mà hà ăn chơn
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
One scare lasts to the grave — wade salt water once, remember the barnacles forever.
Literally: once frightened till old: don't walk salt water, barnacles bite
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 “một lần cho tởn đến già, chớ đi nước mặn mà hà ăn chơn” mean?
One scare lasts to the grave — wade salt water once, remember the barnacles forever. Literally: once frightened till old: don't walk salt water, barnacles bite
Is “một lần cho tởn đến già, chớ đi nước mặn mà hà ăn chơn” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.