đánh trống lấp

Thân thiện

Thấy cuộc tranh luận sắp đi vào ngõ cụt, ông chủ tọa liền đánh trống lấp bằng cách đề nghị giải lao.

Definition

1. Verb (Idiomatic Expression):
   • To intentionally speak loudly, make noise, or create a distraction in order to drown out or cover up something else, typically an unwanted conversation, question, or topic. The core meaning is to use a louder, more dominant sound or action to obscure a less desirable one.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Khi câu hỏi khó được đưa ra, ông ấy liền đánh trống lấp bằng cách kể một câu chuyện cười. (When a difficult question was raised, he immediately drowned it out by telling a joke.)
  • Đừng có đánh trống lấp, hãy trả lời câu hỏi của tôi một cách trực tiếp. (Don't try to obscure the issue, answer my question directly.)
  • Bọn trẻ đánh trống lấp tiếng cãi nhau của bố mẹ bằng cách bật nhạc thật to. (The children drowned out their parents' arguing by playing music very loudly.)

Advanced Usage

• This is a fixed idiomatic expression. It is used figuratively and is not literally about playing a drum (). The imagery comes from the idea of using a loud drumbeat () to cover () something else.
• It often implies a deliberate, somewhat evasive tactic to avoid addressing something directly.

Variants and Related Words

• Lấp liếm (verb): To gloss over, to cover up (a mistake, fault). This is a close synonym but focuses more on hiding a fault or mistake rather than drowning out sound.
  • Anh ta cố gắng lấp liếm cho sai lầm của mình. (He tried to gloss over his mistake.)
• Đánh trống bỏ dùi (idiom): To start something with great fanfare but not finish it; to fail to follow through.
  • Dự án đó chỉ là đánh trống bỏ dùi. (That project was just a lot of noise with no follow-through.)

Synonyms

• To drown out: To be so loud that another sound cannot be heard.
• To talk over someone: To speak while someone else is speaking, making it hard for them to be heard.
• To obscure (the issue): To make something unclear or hard to understand.
• To create a diversion: To draw attention away from something.

Related Idioms

• Nói to át đi: (Lit: Speak loudly to overpower). This is a more literal phrase with a very similar meaning to .
  • Cô ấy luôn nói to át đi ý kiến của người khác. (She always talks over other people's opinions.)

Học thuật

1. Drown (a talk... not to one's liking) by speaking louder