Definition

1. Verb:
   • To crow persistently at night: Refers specifically to the repeated, often intrusive, crowing of a rooster during the late-night or early morning hours.
   • To pester or nag incessantly: Used figuratively to describe the act of persistently and annoyingly demanding, asking for, or reminding someone about something, such as a debt or a favor.

Usage Examples

• Verb (literal):

  • Tiếng gà eo óc suốt đêm khiến tôi mất ngủ. (The rooster's persistent crowing all night kept me awake.)
  • Chỉ mới nửa đêm, con gà trống đã eo óc. (It was only midnight, and the rooster was already crowing persistently.)

• Verb (figurative):

  • Chủ nợ đến nhà eo óc đòi tiền. (The creditor came to the house pestering incessantly for the money.)
  • Đừng có eo óc mãi một việc đó. (Stop nagging about that one thing incessantly.)

Advanced Usage

• The figurative use often carries a strong negative connotation of annoyance and unwanted, relentless pressure. It is commonly applied in contexts of debt collection, persistent requests, or repetitive complaints.

Variants and Related Words

• Gáy (v): to crow (the standard, neutral verb for a rooster's crow).
  • Gà trống gáy vào lúc bình minh. (The rooster crows at dawn.)

Synonyms

• To crow repeatedly: For the literal meaning.
• To pester: To bother someone with repeated requests.
• To nag: To annoy by constant fault-finding or demands.
• To badger: To persistently and annoyingly ask for something.

Related Idioms

• Nợ nần eo óc: To be pestered relentlessly by debts or creditors.
  • Công ty anh ấy đang bị nợ nần eo óc. (His company is being badgered relentlessly by debts.)

1. Night-time cock crowing, night-time cock crowing, night-time cock-a-doodle-doo
   • Đêm khuya không ngủ được nghe tiếng gà eo óc
     To hear late night-time cock-a-doole-doo in one's sleeplessness