Tiếng Việt · Idiom Attested

múa rìu qua mắt thợ

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

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To show off a skill in front of a true master of that skill — foolish, presumptuous display.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Khoe tài năng trước mặt người giỏi hơn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Literally: To twirl an axe before the eyes of a carpenter.

How to use it

✓ Use it when

Humble apologies before experts, or mocking someone lecturing a master.

Where it’s used: Used Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora

Examples

Em nói về phở trước mặt bác đầu bếp năm mươi năm nghề thì khác gì múa rìu qua mắt thợ.Talking phở in front of a chef with fifty years at the stove is twirling an axe before the carpenter.

Editorial example (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)

Equivalents & related

Near equivalent teach your grandmother to suck eggs To presume to give advice to someone far more experienced than you. English

Topics: Eyes

Common questions

What does “múa rìu qua mắt thợ” mean?

To show off a skill in front of a true master of that skill — foolish, presumptuous display. Literally: To twirl an axe before the eyes of a carpenter.

Is “múa rìu qua mắt thợ” formal or informal?

múa rìu qua mắt thợ is generally neutral; connotation: humbling, wry.

What is the closest equivalent?

“teach your grandmother to suck eggs” (English) — near equivalent.