Definition

1. Adjective (Colloquial):
   • Very lithe or extremely flexible: Describes a person, body part, or movement that is exceptionally supple, pliant, and bends with ease.
   • Done exactly to a turn (of sticky rice or similar dishes): Describes food, particularly glutinous rice or sticky rice, that is cooked to a perfect, soft, and cohesive texture.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Tay cô ta múa dẻo quẹo. (Her arms moved very lithely in her dance.)
  • Cơm nếp này nấu dẻo quẹo, ăn rất ngon. (This sticky rice is cooked to a perfect turn, it's very delicious to eat.)
  • Vận động viên yoga có cơ thể dẻo quẹo. (The yoga athlete has a very lithe body.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in spoken language and informal contexts to emphasize a high degree of flexibility or perfect texture.

Variants and Related Words

• Dẻo (adj): flexible, pliable, chewy (for food). A more standard and less emphatic form.
  • Bánh dày rất dẻo. (The rice cake is very chewy.)

Synonyms

• Lithe: gracefully thin and flexible.
• Supple: bending and moving easily.
• Pliant: easily bent or shaped.
• Perfectly cooked (for food): having the ideal texture.

Related Idioms

• While "dẻo quẹo" itself is not typically part of a longer idiom, its root "dẻo" appears in phrases like:
  • Dẻo miệng: to be glib-tongued or persuasive in speech.

    • Anh ấy dẻo miệng nên thuyết phục được nhiều người. (He is glib-tongued so he can persuade many people.)

1. (khẩu ngữ)
2. Very lithe
   • Tay cô ta múa dẻo quẹo
     Her arms moved very lithely in her dance
   • Done exactly to a turn (nói về cơm, xôi)