Definition

1. Noun:
   • A nook, a cranny, a small and often hidden or neglected corner: Refers to a very small, confined, and typically out-of-the-way space within a room or area. It implies a place that is easily overlooked.
   • An obscure or insignificant place: Can describe a location that is remote, unimportant, or forgotten.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Dọn dẹp sạch sẽ mọi xó xỉnh trong nhà. (Clean every nook and cranny in the house.)
  • Đồ cũ chất đầy trong các xó xỉnh. (Old things are piled up in all the corners.)
  • Hắn ta trốn ở một xó xỉnh nào đó của thành phố. (He is hiding in some obscure corner of the city.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in the plural form "các xó xỉnh" or the repetitive form "xó xỉnh" to emphasize the idea of or .
  • Tìm khắp các xó xỉnh mà vẫn không thấy chìa khóa. (Searched every nook and cranny but still couldn't find the key.)

Variants and Related Words

• Xó (n): A corner, often a dark or dirty one. "Xó xỉnh" is an alliterative compound that intensifies the meaning of "xó".

  • Cái chổi để ở xó bếp. (The broom is placed in the kitchen corner.)

• Góc (n): A corner. This is a more neutral and common term for a corner, unlike "xó xỉnh" which carries a connotation of being hidden or untidy.

  • Ngồi ở góc phòng. (Sit in the corner of the room.)

Synonyms

• Nook: A corner or recess, especially one offering seclusion or security.
• Cranny: A small, narrow space or opening.
• Out-of-the-way place: A remote or secluded location.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Khắp xó xỉnh: Throughout every nook and cranny; everywhere.

  • Lục soát khắp xó xỉnh. (To search high and low; to ransack every nook and cranny.)

• Xó xỉnh hẻm hóc: (All the) nooks, crannies, and alleys. This phrase emphasizes obscure and labyrinthine places.

  • Biết rõ mọi xó xỉnh hẻm hóc của khu phố. (Know every nook, cranny, and alley of the neighborhood.)