lộn phèo
Definition
- Verb phrase (slang):
- To fall over completely / to take a bad tumble: Describes a sudden, often clumsy, and forceful fall where a person or object turns over or ends up in a disorganized heap.
- To go haywire / to go completely wrong: Used figuratively to describe a situation, plan, or emotional state that becomes chaotic, fails dramatically, or spirals out of control.
Usage Examples
Literal (to fall):
- Trời mưa đường trơn, nó bị trượt chân ngã lộn phèo. (It was raining and the road was slippery; he slipped and took a bad tumble.)
- Đứa bé đu cành cây rồi rơi lộn phèo xuống đất. (The child was swinging on a tree branch and then fell head over heels to the ground.)
Figurative (to go wrong):
- Kế hoạch kinh doanh của họ bị lộn phèo vì dịch bệnh. (Their business plan went completely haywire because of the pandemic.)
- Nghe tin đó, tâm trí cô ấy lộn phèo lên. (Hearing that news, her mind went into complete chaos.)
Advanced Usage
- Often used for emphasis to describe a fall that is more dramatic and messy than a simple "ngã" (fall). The figurative use emphasizes total failure or disorder.
Variants and Related Words
- Lộn tùng phèo: An extended, more emphatic variant with the same meaning.
- Dự án đó giờ lộn tùng phèo cả rồi. (That project is now in total disarray.)
Synonyms
- To tumble: to fall suddenly and clumsily.
- To go awry: to go wrong.
- To fall apart: to collapse into chaos.
Related Idioms
- While "lộn phèo" itself is idiomatic, it is often used in similar contexts to:
- Như củi lộn: (Like jumbled firewood) meaning in a state of utter confusion or disorder.
- Mọi thứ sau vụ hỏa hoạn rối như củi lộn. (Everything was in a jumbled mess after the fire.)