Tiếng Việt · Proverb Attested

uổng xích nhi trực tầm

🎙 Say it

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

Meaning · English

Bend a foot to gain a fathom? — the gentleman refuses; no profit licenses a crooked inch.

Literally: bend the foot-rule for a straight fathom

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 “uổng xích nhi trực tầm” mean?

Bend a foot to gain a fathom? — the gentleman refuses; no profit licenses a crooked inch. Literally: bend the foot-rule for a straight fathom

Is “uổng xích nhi trực tầm” formal or informal?

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

👁 Views 0 today 0 past 7 days 0 this month 0 all time