ăn quỵt
Definition
Verb:
- To eat and run without paying: The primary meaning of "ăn quỵt" is to consume food or drink at a restaurant, cafe, or similar establishment and then leave without paying the bill.
- To swindle out of a meal: More broadly, it can mean to deliberately cheat someone by consuming something promised or owed without providing compensation.
Noun (concept):
- The act of dining and dashing: The behavior or instance of defrauding an establishment by leaving without payment after eating.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Hai thanh niên đó định ăn quỵt ở quán của tôi. (Those two youths tried to dine and dash at my restaurant.)
- Anh ta đã mời cả nhóm đi ăn rồi ăn quỵt. (He invited the whole group for a meal and then swindled them by not paying.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is specific to the context of food, drink, or hospitality services. It implies a deliberate, deceitful act rather than an accidental oversight.
- It can be used figuratively in very casual speech to describe getting out of any small, agreed-upon obligation, though this is less common.
Variants and Related Words
- Ăn chịu (v): To eat/drink on credit, with an agreement to pay later. This is the legitimate opposite of "ăn quỵt."
- Ông chủ quen nên cho tôi ăn chịu. (The owner knows me, so he let me put it on tab.)
Synonyms
- To dine and dash: (idiomatic) To leave a restaurant without paying.
- To bilk: To evade payment, especially for a meal or service.
- To defraud: To illegally obtain something (like a meal) through deception.
Related Idioms
- While "ăn quỵt" is itself an idiomatic phrase, it is not typically part of a larger Vietnamese idiom. Its meaning is contained within the phrase itself.