trong đom-đóm, ngoài bó đuốc
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A firefly indoors, a torch outdoors — glow saved for the audience, dark kept for the family.
Literally: inside: firefly; outside: torch bundle
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 “trong đom-đóm, ngoài bó đuốc” mean?
A firefly indoors, a torch outdoors — glow saved for the audience, dark kept for the family. Literally: inside: firefly; outside: torch bundle
Is “trong đom-đóm, ngoài bó đuốc” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.