Tiếng Việt · Idiom Attested

treo đầu dê, bán thịt chó

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

Also seen as: treo đầu dê bán thịt chó

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To advertise one thing but deliver another — deceptive marketing or bait-and-switch.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Quảng cáo một điều gì đó nhưng cung cấp điều khác

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Literally: Hang up a goat’s head, but sell dog meat.

How to use it

✓ Use it when

Accusing a seller or institution of false advertising.

✗ Avoid it when

It is a direct accusation of fraud.

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

Examples

Ảnh quảng cáo một đằng, món ra một nẻo — đúng kiểu treo đầu dê, bán thịt chó.The ad photos show one thing, the dish arrives as another — hanging a goat’s head while selling dog meat.

Editorial example (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(verb) to put up goat heads, but actually be selling dog meat

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

quảng cáo gian dối, lừa đảo

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

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

Sources & notes

Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(verb) to practice blatantly false advertising, to pull off a bait and switch

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

quảng cáo gian dối, lừa đảo

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Equivalents & related

Near equivalent bait and switch Luring someone with a attractive offer, then substituting something less desirable English

Topics: Dogs Bones & skin

Common questions

What does “treo đầu dê, bán thịt chó” mean?

To advertise one thing but deliver another — deceptive marketing or bait-and-switch. Literally: Hang up a goat’s head, but sell dog meat.

Is “treo đầu dê, bán thịt chó” formal or informal?

treo đầu dê, bán thịt chó is generally informal; connotation: accusatory.

What is the closest equivalent?

“bait and switch” (English) — near equivalent.