trật cánh khỉ
Definition
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.
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.)