cứt sắt
Definition
Noun (Technical/Metallurgy):
- Iron scale / mill scale / forge scale: The layer of oxide that forms on the surface of hot iron or steel during forging, rolling, or other hot-working processes. It flakes off as a dark, brittle material.
- Dross / slag: By extension, it can refer to waste material or impurities separated from metal during smelting.
Noun (Figurative, Vulgar Slang):
- Miser / skinflint / tightwad: A person who is extremely stingy, parsimonious, or unwilling to spend money. This usage is derogatory and colloquial.
Usage Examples
Noun (Technical):
- Thợ rèn dùng búa đập để lớp cứt sắt bong ra. (The blacksmith uses a hammer to knock the iron scale off.)
- Cứt sắt được tách ra từ kim loại nóng chảy. (Slag is separated from the molten metal.)
Noun (Figurative):
- Đừng hỏi hắn mượn tiền, hắn là đồ cứt sắt mà. (Don't ask him to borrow money; he's a real tightwad.)
- Ông chủ đó nổi tiếng là cứt sắt. (That boss is famous for being a miser.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is considered coarse, especially in its figurative sense. It is primarily used in informal speech.
Variants and Related Words
- Xỉ (n): A more standard, less vulgar technical term for slag or dross in metallurgy.
- Hà tiện (adj): Stingy, miserly (a standard, non-vulgar adjective).
- Keo kiệt (adj): Stingy, parsimonious (a standard, non-vulgar adjective).
Synonyms
- Technical: Mill scale, forge scale, dross, slag.
- Figurative: Miser, skinflint, cheapskate, penny-pincher.
Related Idioms
- While "cứt sắt" itself is not commonly part of a longer idiom, its figurative meaning aligns with concepts described by idioms like:
- Ki bo: To be stingy.
- Bủn xỉn: To be mean and stingy with money.