Why do you say ‘lime and lemon like onions without salt’?

Interpretation of the dictionary: 1. Dictionary of Vietnamese idioms and proverbs (Vu Dung group) as flax as onions without salt Ngđ: One experience: pound onions, you have to add a few grains of salt, otherwise the onions will jump. out of the mortar. Ngb: Hastily, hastily, hastily, without grace.
2. “Vietnamese Proverbs Dictionary” (Nguyen Duc Duong) collects the version: “No salt, the onion is lemongrass”, and explains: “When the salt is absent, the onion will turn out immediately. Or use it to complain. about people who often screw up when there is no one to follow because they are too fast (Note: Lazy vt. Likes to do things that are not my main duty (due to being too quick)”.

Considering the literal teaching of the Vu Dung Group, there is no factual basis. Because if salt can keep onions from “jumping out of the mortar” when pounding, there must be a chemical effect between the two. In other words, the onion and salt must be ground together for the chemical action to take place. But once the onions and salt are mixed together, why worry about the onions “jumping” out of the mortar? In fact, pounding onions is not so difficult that it requires salt – an additive that can cause people to change the purpose of onions. After directly experimenting, we found that: pounding onions without salt or not makes no difference. Conclusion: “experience: pounding onions, you have to add a few grains of salt, otherwise the onions will jump out of the mortar” of Vu Dung Group is completely unrealistic. Regarding the explanation of the “Vietnamese proverb dictionary”: “When salt is absent, onions will immediately become cold”, in fact, just re-expressed the folk saying, not explaining the literal meaning, but also the figurative meaning. incorrect. Some other explanations: When salting onions without adding salt, onions will float, so it is called “Land lemon like onions without salt”. However, in terms of chemistry, onions are always more buoyant in salt water than in cold water. And so, the truth is quite the opposite: with salt, the onion will “float” (floating)! Another opinion is that “lime and lemon are like onions without salt”, only someone “passionate”, salted onions but forgot to put salt. But pickled onions or sauerkraut, without adding salt, what’s the difference in the degree of “ambiguity”? So, “Lime flax is like onions without salt”, or “Without salt, lemongrass” is literally understood? We think that the literal meaning of the idiom is based on the importance of salt and onions. According to this, salt is much more important than onions. Every dish can be without spices, but not without salt. The question is when is “salted onion” and when is “unsalted onion”? Onions have salt when people prepare dishes where salt and onions are removed from the beginning and removed at the same time to marinate and cook. In these cases, salt is an indispensable ingredient, and onions are just one of many spices (such as ginger, garlic, chili, MSG, sugar, etc.). Therefore, when appearing at the same time as salt, onions are secondary, nothing outstanding, even if it is okay, it is okay not to have it. Marinating onions with salted fish sauce and cooking utensils does not need to be rushed or according to a strict process. However, when “onions are not salted”, things are different. So when is the “unsalted onion”? When people have to fry onions and grease to bring up the smell of fried things, before adding salted fish sauce, or frying onions to make seasoning, cake fillings… To ensure that onions are cooked and fragrant, the fat pan must be fragrant. clean, absolutely no salty salt. Unlike when “onions have salt”, this time onions are not only the most important but also go first, salted fish becomes the last “participant”. So how do folk think “unsalted onion” is like a “lime lemon” guy? Under the anthropomorphic view of folk, “unsalted onions” are like those who are sharp, clean, zealous, always in a hurry, and want to hurry up. The interesting thing is that the same thing, phenomenon, comes from the same literal meaning, but folk have created one version is a proverb, the other is an idiom: Ban is the proverb “Without salt, the onion is fine”: summarizing a regular fact that when the main factor is absent, the secondary one suddenly emerges. Just like when “no salt”, onions have the opportunity to play an important role, but “Vietnamese Proverbs Dictionary” by Nguyen Duc Duong has interpreted in the obvious sense: “When salt is absent, onions become flax. right”. This sentence is synonymous with the sentence “There are big elephants; there are no big cows and elephants”, or “There are big mountains, there are no high hills” (without the real big, the small suddenly takes its place). The beauty of the sentence “No salt, no salt, no onion” is that the folk personify the onion to describe the gesture, the innocent personality, like to show me here of the proud, “one-eyed man is the king of the blind country”. ! Ban is the idiom “Land and lime are like onions without salt”: simply simulating, comparing someone’s appearance, wiping gesture, hasty and hasty like “onions without salt”. This sentence is synonymous with the sentence “Smooth like a newcomer”: the newcomers are enthusiastic, wipe the chau, everything is quick, enthusiastic, know the job (Variable “Lau chau like a new resident” come, waddling like a child at full five”). Folk often rely on the observation of things and phenomena around daily life to set up proverbs. Therefore, the literal meaning always corresponds to the figurative meaning. In this case, the way that “unsalted onion” participates in the dish evokes the gesture of a “lean lemon” person, exactly as the “Vietnamese Dictionary” (Vietlex) has taught: “lean lemon • t. has a hasty, hasty posture, wants to appear quick, has a cool personality ~ Address: lau chau”.