Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To let a piece (of food) slip/drop: The literal meaning refers to accidentally dropping a morsel of food from one's mouth or hand while eating or handling it.
   • To make a slip of the tongue; to have a verbal slip: The figurative and more common meaning is to say something unintentionally, often revealing a secret, making a mistake, or saying something inappropriate or regrettable.

Usage Examples

• Literal:
  • Cậu bé cầm đùi gà mà sẩy miếng, làm rơi xuống đất. (The boy was holding a chicken leg but let it slip, dropping it on the ground.)
• Figurative:
  • Trong lúc nóng giận, ông ấy đã sẩy miếng tiết lộ bí mật. (In a moment of anger, he had a slip of the tongue and revealed the secret.)
  • Cô ấy nói rất cẩn thận để không sẩy miếng trước mặt báo chí. (She spoke very carefully to avoid a verbal slip in front of the press.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is often used to describe an unintentional, spontaneous verbal error, particularly in sensitive contexts like negotiations, interviews, or keeping secrets. It implies a lack of control over one's words at a critical moment.

Variants and Related Words

• Lỡ lời (v): to say something by mistake, similar to "sẩy miếng" in its figurative sense.
  • Anh ta lỡ lời xin lỗi ngay. (He said it by mistake and apologized immediately.)
• Buột miệng (v): to let something slip out of one's mouth, often impulsively.
  • Tôi buột miệng khen cô ấy. (I impulsively blurted out a compliment to her.)

Synonyms

• To slip up: to make a careless mistake, especially in speech.
• To blurt out: to say something suddenly and without thinking.
• To have a slip of the tongue: to say something you did not intend to say.

Related Idioms

• Sẩy chân: to slip (physically); to make a misstep.
  • Đường trơn, cẩn thận kẻo sẩy chân. (The road is slippery, be careful not to slip.)
• This idiom shares the structure and concept of an accidental slip ("sẩy"), but applies it to physical footing instead of speech.