ngâm tôm
Definition
- Verb (colloquial):
- To pigeonhole, to shelve, to delay indefinitely: The primary meaning refers to the act of intentionally delaying or postponing a matter, leaving it unresolved for a long time, often by putting it aside and ignoring it. It implies bureaucratic or administrative stagnation.
- To soak/shrimp (literal): The phrase originates from a literal image, but in modern usage, this meaning is largely historical or contextual, referring to a specific, cruel punishment.
Usage Examples
- Verb (colloquial):
- Hồ sơ của tôi bị ngâm tôm ở phòng hành chính đã mấy tháng nay. (My application has been pigeonholed in the administrative office for months.)
- Đừng có ngâm tôm việc đó nữa, phải giải quyết ngay đi. (Don't keep putting off that task any longer; you must resolve it immediately.)
- Dự án bị ngâm tôm vì thiếu ngân sách. (The project was shelved due to a lack of budget.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is strongly colloquial and often carries a negative connotation of frustration with inefficiency, bureaucracy, or intentional neglect.
- It is commonly used in contexts related to paperwork, administrative procedures, projects, or any matter that is stalled without progress.
Variants and Related Words
- Ngâm (verb): To soak, to steep. Also used figuratively to mean to delay (e.g., - to study/ponder deeply, but alone can imply delay).
- Trì hoãn (verb): To postpone, to delay (more formal/neutral term).
- Để chậm (verb phrase): To leave something slow/undone.
Synonyms
- Trì hoãn: To delay, to postpone.
- Để xó: To put aside, to neglect (colloquial).
- Gác lại: To shelve, to put on hold.
Related Idioms/Phrases
- Ngâm tôm ngâm tép: An extended, more emphatic form of the phrase, emphasizing the prolonged and frustrating nature of the delay. (e.g., - This matter is being endlessly delayed, who knows until when.)
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(thông tục) Pigeon-hole