StoneSoup Posted November 24, 2010 Report Share Posted November 24, 2010 While not swearing per se, the most imaginative third person insult that I encountered was in how Thai women referred to sexually precocious young girls - referring to a couple of slutty-looking 13 (??)year olds - referring to them as "siep et, raw daw" = à ¹Âà ¸£à ¸†= "rat". 'Very clever: 1. Using the Thai transcription for the English word "rat." 2. Alluding to the age of eleven, using the Thai vowel for "ehh" - verbally transcribed as the number eleven It is also spoken with a sneer. Shakespeare would have been proud. SS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted November 24, 2010 Report Share Posted November 24, 2010 Also, be careful in situations where you're expressing frustration or anger around a Thai with using English "fuck" (or "fucking," "fucker," etc.), even if you're not directing it at them... Thais are well aware of "fuck" as a swear word but of course do not understand its many uses/subtleties (for instance, just because you're saying "fuck" around a Thai doesn't mean you're directing it at them)... Sometimes when they hear it, even if (especially if?) they don't understand a word of the rest of what you happen to be saying, they may assume that you're insulting them...depending on the situation, this could be dangerous. A LITTLE knowledge, heheh, is a dangerous thing (especially in the hands of the Thais!)... Spot on, Preakho. Thais take much greater offense of the English word 'fuck', and know just barely enough English to cause a problem for anyone using the word around them. They just do not realize that the word fuck has become a word used lightly in our cultures, or at least in certain context and situations and expressions. Also, I would not use any Thai vulgarity to a Thai, it is asking for major trouble one day, especially if you use it and get away without a problem for a period of time, and start using it more often. Eventually one day you will have a serious problem when using it around the wrong Thai. Even kwai/buffalo can cause a big problem with some Thais. It won't seem so cool and funny when you have ten Thais kicking the crap out of you on the sidewalk because you have offended them and they decide to teach the farang a bit of manners. Giving the 'finger' is not a very good idea either. Many Thais (all?) know what it means and will take offense and possibly become quite violent in response. It is just not the same here as it is in the west, they take this stuff much more seriously than most of us would. Fighting words and all that. They just do not know the difference in usage (some, but not most) and it could cause a major problem for one throwing these words around blithely or in anger. Be careful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted November 24, 2010 Report Share Posted November 24, 2010 A Thai friend once chewed out a Canuck colleague for flipping the bird at a Thai driver who nearly ran over him. The Thai - western educated and fluent in both English and German - said you never know who the driver is. It could be a "hiso" or even a gangster who would think nothing of pulling out a gun and blowing you away. And most likely getting away with it! Think of Chalerm's sons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexi Posted November 24, 2010 Report Share Posted November 24, 2010 Why would they compare them to a rat ? " raird " is a Thai word meaning flirtacious.Often heard in the phrase " ee raird "usually said by older ladies about attractive younger girls." Sip-et ee raird " makes a good ryme and makes sense.......maybe thats what was said.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted November 24, 2010 Report Share Posted November 24, 2010 Soupy, they are NOT transliterating English into Thai. They are calling her a rhinoceros! Since rhino horn is considered an aphrodisiac in Chinese folk medicine, the implication seems clear - and not complementary. Sort of like saying she's a nympho! p.s. Or whatever. I've never heard it used, since I don't hang out with old Thai women. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoneSoup Posted November 24, 2010 Report Share Posted November 24, 2010 No - quite literally, I was sitting with two bargirls looking out over a street scene - and these two slutty looking girls about 13 years old, smoking, with much make-up on, were talking in the street. One of the girls I was with rolls back her eyes and tilts her head toward the two, and says to the other "Siep Eht Raw Daw." Girl #2 just shook her head in contempt at the two nymphets. This was back when I was attending Thai language school at Ploenchit at the end of 1997, and I could understand the alphabet, but it made no sense to me. So - I asked what that meant. Girl #2 explained it to me - drawing the Thai letters in the air, and saying it meant a slutty young girls - as in 11 years old. I said - those girls had to be older than 11 - and she said that actual age didn't matter, and it was just an expression. Maybe three months later, I was watching a Thai TV show with a different girl, in her apartment, and some comedy stage show had two barely teenage girls playing some sort of Lolita role. I thought I would show off my idiomatic excellence, so I said "ahh.... siep eht raw daw". The girl was startled, and asked me to repeat what I just said - and I did. She them playfully slapped me in the face, and told me that was a very nasty expression, and to never, ever refer to real girls like that, or I might get beat up. 'Never really thought of it again - until I saw this thread. Maybe it was something out of a contemporary movie, or scandal, or joke, or something - because in all the years since, I have never heard that term again. SS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted November 24, 2010 Report Share Posted November 24, 2010 I asked Mr Google. Seems there's a "may ek" they've left out in speech, which makes a different spelling from rhino. (No idea why since it doesn't change the pronunciation and it seems to be written without it as well.) << à ¹Âà ¸£à ¹ˆà ¸†à ¸Â. à ¸›à ¸£à ¸°à ¸žà ¸¤à ¸•à ¸´à ¸•à ¸±à ¸§à ¹€à ¸«à ¸¥à ¸§à ¹Âà ¸«à ¸¥à ¸Âà ¹Âà ¸¥à ¸°à ¸›à ¸£à ¸°à ¹€à ¸ˆà ¸´à ¸â€Ã ¸›à ¸£à ¸°à ¹€à ¸ˆà ¹‰à ¸Âà ¹ƒà ¸™à ¸—à ¸²à ¸‡à ¸Šà ¸¹à ¹‰à ¸ªà ¸²à ¸§ à ¹€à ¸Šà ¹ˆà ¸™ à ¹€à ¸â€Ã ¹‡à ¸Âà ¸ªà ¸¡à ¸±à ¸¢à ¸™à ¸µà ¹‰à ¹Âà ¸£à ¹ˆà ¸â€Ã ¸¡à ¸²à ¸ à ¸¡à ¸µà ¹Âà ¸Ÿà ¸™à ¸•à ¸±à ¹‰à ¸‡à ¹Âà ¸•à ¹ˆà ¸Âà ¸¢à ¸¸à ¸¢à ¸±à ¸‡à ¸™à ¹‰à ¸Âà ¸¢ â€œà ¹Âà ¸£à ¹ˆà ¸â€Ã¢â‚¬Â (verb/modifier) to conduct oneself in a slutty and shameless manner; for example, ‘Kids nowadays act shamelessly; they have boyfriends from a very young age.’ (my translation) ... Interestingly, the Dictionary of New Words has a follow-up term: "à ¹Âà ¸£à ¹ˆà ¸â€Ã ¹€à ¸‡à ¸µà ¸¢à ¸š" as "à ¸›à ¸£à ¸°à ¸žà ¸¤à ¸•à ¸´à ¸•à ¸±à ¸§à ¹€à ¸«à ¸¥à ¸§à ¹Âà ¸«à ¸¥à ¸Âà ¹ƒà ¸™à ¸—à ¸²à ¸‡à ¸Šà ¸¹à ¹‰à ¸ªà ¸²à ¸§ à ¹Âà ¸•à ¹ˆà ¹„à ¸¡à ¹ˆà ¸›à ¸£à ¸°à ¹€à ¸ˆà ¸´à ¸â€Ã ¸›à ¸£à ¸°à ¹€à ¸ˆà ¹‰à ¸Â", as in "à ¸â€Ã ¸²à ¸£à ¸²à ¸„à ¸™à ¸™à ¸µà ¹‰à ¹Âà ¸£à ¹ˆà ¸â€Ã ¹€à ¸‡à ¸µà ¸¢à ¸š à ¸—à ¸³à ¸•à ¸±à ¸§à ¹€à ¸£à ¸µà ¸¢à ¸šà ¸£à ¹‰à ¸Âà ¸¢ à ¹Âà ¸•à ¹ˆà ¹€à ¸šà ¸·à ¹‰à ¸Âà ¸‡à ¸«à ¸¥à ¸±à ¸‡à ¹€à ¸›à ¸¥à ¸µà ¹ˆà ¸¢à ¸™à ¸„à ¸¹à ¹ˆà ¸™à ¸Âà ¸™à ¹€à ¸›à ¹‡à ¸™à ¸§à ¹ˆà ¸²à ¹€à ¸¥à ¹ˆà ¸™" "This actress acts in a very dignified manner, but secretly she is a wanton woman." >> Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo_bill Posted November 26, 2010 Report Share Posted November 26, 2010 Sorry for going off topic but assuming that using curse words offer some meantal relief I do recommend using " Cuuuurvaaaa " which is Polish and means hooker . It is the worst available . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Radley Posted November 26, 2010 Report Share Posted November 26, 2010 I'd always taken à ¹Âà ¸£à ¸†to mean slutty too eg by the way you dress etc à ¹€à ¸˜à ¸Âà ¹Âà ¸£à ¸â€Ã ¸¡à ¸²à ¸Â! I also recently came across NA MAW à ¸«à ¸™à ¹‰à ¸²à ¸«à ¸¡à ¹‰à ¸ (slang; vulgar) lit. cunt/pussy face used apparently if you're being too flirtatious/amorous/lecherous etc. You might be be rebuffed with YA MA NA MAW à ¸Âà ¸¢à ¹ˆà ¸²à ¸¡à ¸²à ¸«à ¸™à ¹‰à ¸²à ¸«à ¸¡à ¹‰à ¸Â. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted December 2, 2010 Report Share Posted December 2, 2010 Ha! It could very well be "Yet" and not "Yep!" I just know if I say it my GF either slaps me or giggles! Just be happy she doesn't bring home a duck and or try to feed it! Kow jai mai? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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