As I've said, I'm taking
private lessons in Thai language and writing. This allows for a certain
flexibility, and I can ask my
teacher questions perhaps unsuitable for a group environment, and
I can corrupt her young mind with English slang.
Thought you might enjoy some of the exchange.
Things I've taught her:
"Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most" How to call someone an idiot in Japanese "Pai pai, bye bye" (In Thai: "I'm going to Pai. Bye-bye"). She finds this hilarious. Quixotic (she actually knew this one — she was an English major) — I used to describe trying to learn to read/write Thai in 6 weeks "Apple for the teacher" To "be the Teacher's pet", to be "a brain", and other insults young American students hurl at one another — or at least, used to. "Sucks" (very bad). "Awesome" (very good). "It's not bad". And their Japanese equivalents for her Japanese students "Snowball's chance in hell" To "dot one's i's and cross one's t's. To mind your Ps and Qs. What did this come from?Most of these have been offered on odd scraps of paper, so I've lost or thrown out quite a few. But we're having fun in any case.
Things I've asked about:
"Evil Foreigner" (a person who just isn't... nice, something to whisper to a Thai who is being abused by farangs that give the rest of us a bad reputation). For lesser offenses, I also have "bad behavior" and "not polite". For Street Vendors that start the negotiations with twice the price: "You can't be serious", and "Really!?" (expressing doubt). I didn't ask how to say "Stop jerking my chain". Meanwhile I've asked a Heifer colleague how to say in his tribal language (Akha) "No I don't want to buy those attractive trinkets you're selling as your own but just bought from the Wholesaler in the back of the shopping center thank you very much". I've accepted the translation of "No thanks" as a shorter version. "Your word's too nice to use" (when my Heifer colleagues use a word from an electronic dictionary, that should be reserved for royalty) "I'd rather walk, actually" (for incredulous tuk-tuk drivers who can't believe you'd prefer to put one foot after another, than give them a buck for a ride across the street). Why would anybody so [relatively] rich, walk? "Ok, but later" ("stop bugging me and maybe I'll buy it tomorrow") "Is this really X" ("Is this shirt really cotton?")If there's anything you've ever been curious about how to say in Thai... now's the time to ask.