Definition

1. Noun:

   • A specific method of tying or binding: Refers to a traditional, often improvised, restraint technique where a person's arms are bound behind their back, typically at the wrists or elbows, in a manner that is difficult to escape from.

2. Noun (figurative/extended usage):

   • A state of being incapacitated or helpless: Used to describe a situation where someone is completely restrained, controlled, or rendered powerless, similar to being physically bound.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Bọn cướp bắt tên tù binh và trói bằng kiểu trật cánh khỉ. (The bandits captured the prisoner and tied him up using the "trật cánh khỉ" method.)
  • Anh ta cảm thấy như bị trật cánh khỉ trước những quy định phức tạp. (He felt as if he was in a "trật cánh khỉ" situation facing the complex regulations.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is often used to imply a sudden, forceful, and complete immobilization, whether physical or metaphorical. It carries a connotation of being caught off guard or subdued effectively.

Variants and Related Words

• Trói (v): to tie, to bind.
  • Họ trói tay anh ấy lại. (They tied his hands.)

Synonyms

• Pinning of the arms: A descriptive synonym for the physical restraint.
• Helpless restraint: For the figurative meaning.

Related Idioms

• Bó tay: to be helpless, to have no recourse (often used figuratively).
  • Trước vấn đề này, tôi thực sự bó tay. (Faced with this problem, I am truly helpless.)
• Bị trói tay: to have one's hands tied (literally or figuratively).
  • Tôi muốn giúp nhưng bị trói tay bởi quy định. (I want to help but my hands are tied by the rules.)