xấu tay
Definition
- Adjective phrase:
- Unlucky in hiring or managing servants: An archaic term describing a person who experiences consistent bad luck or misfortune when engaging or employing domestic servants. It implies the person has a problematic history with servants, such as frequently hiring unsuitable ones or having servants who perform poorly, quit unexpectedly, or cause trouble.
Usage Examples
- Adjective phrase:
- Ông chủ đó bị tiếng là xấu tay, người giúp việc nào cũng chỉ ở được vài tháng. (That employer has a reputation for being unlucky with servants; every domestic worker only stays for a few months.)
- Bà ấy than phiền mình xấu tay nên mãi không tìm được người hầu tốt. (She complained that she was unlucky in hiring, so she couldn't find a good maid.)
Advanced Usage
- This phrase is considered archaic and is rarely used in modern, everyday Vietnamese. It might be encountered in historical literature, period dramas, or when discussing old-fashioned social customs related to domestic employment.
Variants and Related Words
- Hên xui (adj): lucky or unlucky (general modern term for luck).
- Chuyện đó phụ thuộc vào hên xui. (That matter depends on luck.)
Synonyms
- Unlucky in hiring: Having consistent bad fortune when employing people.
- Hapless (as an employer): Unfortunate, especially in domestic staff management.
Related Idioms
- Xui xẻo: to have bad luck (a common modern synonym for general misfortune).
- Anh ta thật xui xẻo. (He is really unlucky.)
- Vận đen: a streak of bad luck.
- Cô ấy đang gặp vận đen. (She is having a streak of bad luck.)