Jambo Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 (edited) I was vaguely listening to a conversation between Sai and her sister Joy. I don't understand much at all of such conversations and they generally ignore any comments I might make in English. I do find them interesting though because they do not speak in what Brits would consider to be normal conversational volume levels so most discussions sound like an argument to me. Anyway, I was eating my breakfast bowl of musli and multigrain toast and I suddenly hear Sai say " ...........f**k Ma.........f**k Ma" ............which was quite a shock "Teerak, teerak. That is no way to talk about your Mum" says I in an indignant voice. (notwithstanding something along the same lines has often crossed my mind.) "Huh??" is the opening response from Sai. "Well teerak, I know you Mum can get on everyone's tits but f**k Ma is a bit strong from you about your own Mother." Sai and her sister fall about laughing. "If you had bothered to learn to speak Thai you would know that I said fuq Ma which meant I was referring to Mum's Pumpkin that she grew and brought back yesterday from the farm. The word "FUQ" means pumpkin in Thai." I laugh and say " Sorry you worried me for a moment." "Okay...............what you mean by Mum getting on everyone's tits?" 🤣 The "f**k Ma" ( aka Mum's Pumpkin) Edited August 20, 2020 by Jambo 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelers4Life Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 I have joked with TGs and BGs over the years when we pass a gold shop and they insinuate that they would love some "thaawng". i always told them, "f**k thaawng" jokingly right back at them. They always ask, "Do you saapeak -fak thaawng- or -f**k thaawng-? I'll then say, "laeo tae khun". 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freee!! Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 1 hour ago, Jambo said: [...] "If you had bothered to learn to speak Thai ... I must say I agree with her, if you live in a country you should learn the language. Besides that, being multilingual makes you aware of the differences between languages so you won't automatically interpret something as offensive in your mother tongue but be open for the possibility of it meaning something completely different in another language. It also allows for multilingual puns. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fygjam Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 Well that explains a lot. The TGF of years gone by must have known someone called "you" who had a pumpkin. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jambo Posted August 21, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 21, 2020 13 hours ago, Freee!! said: I must say I agree with her, if you live in a country you should learn the language. Besides that, being multilingual makes you aware of the differences between languages so you won't automatically interpret something as offensive in your mother tongue but be open for the possibility of it meaning something completely different in another language. It also allows for multilingual puns. I am a Brit. If Johny foreigner cannot be bothered to learn English that is their loss. (I did pay for Sai's English lessons but she blames me and my cockney accent for her (perceived - not actual) pronounciation failings.) 🤣 3 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freee!! Posted August 21, 2020 Share Posted August 21, 2020 8 hours ago, Jambo said: I am a Brit. If Johny foreigner cannot be bothered to learn English that is their loss. There once was a time when every upper class Brit spoke at least passable French (but that was long ago, in the heyday of the British Empire). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coxyhog Posted August 21, 2020 Share Posted August 21, 2020 52 minutes ago, Freee!! said: There once was a time when every upper class Brit spoke at least passable French (but that was long ago, in the heyday of the British Empire). There was once a time long ago when the upper classes only spoke French. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coxyhog Posted August 21, 2020 Share Posted August 21, 2020 When my missus first came here in 1992 she got free English classes & it was only later that I found out that two of her mates from Thailand were in the same class & they'd sit at the back nattering to each other in Thai. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freee!! Posted August 21, 2020 Share Posted August 21, 2020 2 minutes ago, coxyhog said: There was once a time long ago when the upper classes only spoke French. But that is a bit longer ago and can that really be called French, the Normandic dialect of that time differed greatly from the Parisian dialect, which is a lot closer to current French. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coxyhog Posted August 21, 2020 Share Posted August 21, 2020 (edited) 32 minutes ago, Freee!! said: But that is a bit longer ago and can that really be called French, the Normandic dialect of that time differed greatly from the Parisian dialect, which is a lot closer to current French. They're all Frogs to me.... What language did the Normans speak? In 1066, the Normans invaded England. It was an event that was to transform the English language forever. For over 300 years French was the language of power, spoken by royalty, aristocrats and high-powered officials - some of whom couldn't speak English at all. Edited August 21, 2020 by coxyhog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jambo Posted August 22, 2020 Author Share Posted August 22, 2020 (edited) 13 hours ago, coxyhog said: They're all Frogs to me.... What language did the Normans speak? some of whom couldn't speak English at all. Its nothing to do with the frogs of course but it is still mostly like that in Leicester, Luton, Bradford, much of London and Birmingham and of course the whole of the indiginous population of Sunderland. Edited August 22, 2020 by Jambo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJSP Posted August 22, 2020 Share Posted August 22, 2020 19 hours ago, coxyhog said: When my missus first came here in 1992 she got free English classes & it was only later that I found out that two of her mates from Thailand were in the same class & they'd sit at the back nattering to each other in Thai. Made me chuckle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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