Definition

1. Verb:
   • To take a stealthy rake-off / to skim off: To secretly and dishonestly appropriate a portion of money, goods, or materials that one is handling or managing for another party.
   • To get pickings / to pilfer: To take a small, often repeated, amount for personal gain, typically from a larger sum or quantity one is entrusted with.

Usage Examples

• (Accepting a subcontract, he skimmed off the raw materials.)
• (The cook pilfered from the supplies.)
• (To embezzle public property / To skim off communal funds.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often implies a breach of trust and is used in contexts of procurement, construction, cooking, or any situation where a person is entrusted with resources.
• "ăn bớt ăn xớt": An intensified form meaning to pilfer or skim off repeatedly and greedily.

Variants and Related Words

• Ăn chặn (v): To intercept and take for oneself; to embezzle.
• Tham ô (v): To embezzle; to corruptly misappropriate (often used for larger-scale, official corruption).

Synonyms

• To embezzle: To steal or misappropriate (money placed in one's trust).
• To pilfer: To steal (typically things of relatively little value).
• To skim off: To take a portion of money dishonestly from a larger amount.
• To defalcate: To embezzle (formal).

Related Idioms

• Làm tay trong: To be an insider who collaborates for illicit gain; similar in concept to collusion but not a direct synonym for .

verb

1. To take stealthy rake off, to get pickings, to appropriate part of profits
2. ăn cánh

verb

1. To be in collusion with, to be in confederacy with, to be in cahoots with, to be hand in glove with
   • người ta đồn rằng một vài nhân viên thuế vụ đã ăn cánh với một băng buôn lậu để làm bậy
     it is rumoured that some taxmen have been in collusion with a band of smugglers for evil-doing
   • những kẻ bất lương này rất ăn cánh với nhau
     these evildoers are as thick as thieves