Definition

1. Noun:

   • Tug of war: A traditional team sport or game where two groups of players pull on opposite ends of a rope, with the goal of dragging the opposing team across a central line.

2. Verb phrase:

   • To drag on / to be protracted: Used figuratively to describe a situation, process, or story that continues for an excessively long time without resolution.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Lễ hội làng có cuộc thi kéo co rất sôi nổi. (The village festival has a very exciting tug of war competition.)
  • Trẻ em thích chơi kéo co. (Children like to play tug of war.)

• Verb phrase:

  • Vụ đàm phán cứ kéo co mãi không kết thúc. (The negotiation just keeps dragging on without an end.)
  • Câu chuyện đó kéo co cả tháng trời. (That story was protracted for a whole month.)

Advanced Usage

• The term can describe any prolonged, back-and-forth struggle, not just physical.
  • Cuộc tranh cãi chính trị giữa hai đảng giống như một trận kéo co. (The political dispute between the two parties is like a tug of war.)

Variants and Related Words

• Trò chơi kéo co (n): The game of tug of war.
• Giải đấu kéo co (n): A tug of war tournament.

Synonyms

• Tug of war: (for the game)
• Prolonged struggle: (for the figurative sense)
• Protracted affair: (for the figurative sense)

Related Idioms

• Kéo co, đẩy xe: This phrase emphasizes a prolonged, indecisive back-and-forth struggle.
  • Dự án này cứ kéo co, đẩy xe mãi. (This project keeps going back and forth indefinitely.)

1. tug of war, to drag on