đu càng

Vietnamese

Etymology

đu (“to swing”) +‎ càng (“claw”). This phrase invokes images of the Vietnam War — of soldiers who hitched onto the side of military helicopters, and of those who tried to evacuate during the Fall of Saigon by "swinging" and "clawing" onto retreating American helicopters.

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɗu˧˧ kaːŋ˨˩]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɗʊw˧˧ kaːŋ˦˩]
(Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ʔɗʊw˧˧ kaːŋ˨˩]

Verb

đu càng

(literally) to dead hang; to swing with one's arms
(figurative, political slander) to collaborate treasonously with the opposing forces

Adjective

đu càng

(figurative, derogatory) of refugees who emigrated from Vietnam during and after the Vietnam War

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