หวานคอแร้ง

[DavidHouston]

I see in several dictionaries that " หวานคอแร้ง" means "easy, simple, piece of cake". The three words "หวาน" "คอ" "แร้ง" mean, respectively, "easy" (as well as "sweet"), "neck", and "vulture" (the diminutive form of the word). Can anyone tell us how the neck of the vulture connotes "easy"? Does this phrase have the same usage and meaning as "ง่ายเหมือนปอกกล้วย"?

Thanks.

[midasthailand]

Hi David, upon asking my staff they informed me that this is a kham supasit and that it is not entirely polite (but not rude either) and essentially it means there is a convenient opportunity which will reap benefits for the subject person. A simple example: If walking along the footpath and you were to spot a thousand Baht note on the ground and no-one around that would qualify as Waan Kor Reang.

I hope this helps clear that up for you David. I haven't bothered adding anything to the Grengjai debate as I thought my answer was correct as validated by your post from the dictionary.

Cheers.

[patri]

คอ in this case means throat not neck.... imagine... a vulture was flying around then it found dead bodies conveniently on the ground... it'd say... Sweet! (something to swallow for my) throat!

Edited October 21, 2008 by patri

[MTLae]

I see in several dictionaries that " หวานคอแร้ง" means "easy, simple, piece of cake". The three words "หวาน" "คอ" "แร้ง" mean, respectively, "easy" (as well as "sweet"), "neck", and "vulture" (the diminutive form of the word). Can anyone tell us how the neck of the vulture connotes "easy"? Does this phrase have the same usage and meaning as "ง่ายเหมือนปอกกล้วย"?

Thanks.

Dear Davidhouston,

Your understanding is correct, the phrase " หวานคอแร้ง " It means something that you can get easily, piece of cake which has the same meaning as "ง่ายเหมือนปอกกล้วยเข้าปาก " But mostly Thai people will use and familiar with the phrase" ง่ายเหมือนปอกกล้วยเข้าปาก " more than " หวานคอแร้ง".

And for your question...How the neck of vulture connote to the meaning easy ?

คอ-แร้ง (Neck of Vulture) actually only คอแร้ง cannot imply to the word easy but you have to put into the phrase หวานคอเเร้ง so

[MTLae]

I see in several dictionaries that " หวานคอแร้ง" means "easy, simple, piece of cake". The three words "หวาน" "คอ" "แร้ง" mean, respectively, "easy" (as well as "sweet"), "neck", and "vulture" (the diminutive form of the word). Can anyone tell us how the neck of the vulture connotes "easy"? Does this phrase have the same usage and meaning as "ง่ายเหมือนปอกกล้วย"?

Thanks.

Dear Davidhouston,

Sorry for un-finished quoted before, something wrong with my computer.

Your understanding is correct, the phrase " หวานคอแร้ง " It means something that you can get easily, piece of cake which has the same meaning as "ง่ายเหมือนปอกกล้วยเข้าปาก " But mostly Thai people will use and familiar with the phrase" ง่ายเหมือนปอกกล้วยเข้าปาก " more than " หวานคอแร้ง".

And for your question...How the neck of vulture connote to the meaning easy ?

คอ-แร้ง (Neck of Vulture) actually only คอแร้ง cannot imply to the word easy but you have to put into the phrase หวานคอเเร้ง

As the Vulture alway eat the death body, when large anmals make a kill, they will wait for the carcasse and eat them but if there's carcass right there for them to eat, they dont have to wait like they alway do so it becomes easy, convenience for them.

Hope you understand better

Nice Day,

Kroo Ae (My Thai Language School)

[meadish_sweetball]

Sounds like the idiom 'like stealing candy from a baby' could work as an equivalent in some cases (probably not the ones in this thread though).

[DavidHouston]

Sounds like the idiom 'like stealing candy from a baby' could work as an equivalent in some cases (probably not the ones in this thread though).

Given the slightly nefarious connotation mentioned by a respondent above, how about, "picking the pockets of a dead man" as an English equivalent.

[Luukhin]

I don't think that หวานคอแร้ง is similar to ง่ายเหมือนปอกกล้วยเข้าปาก. It is used as an exclamation as a reaction to a situation as Midas pointed out above. เงินห้าร้อยบาทตกอยู่ตรงนั้น หวานคอแร้งล่ะทีนี้ 'Lucky me! Someone dropped five hundred bahts '

[yoot]

I agree with Khun Luukhin.

Both saying might have similar meanings but the usage is different.

Other examples when using the saying หวานคอแร้ง:

- If you are in a Chinese style party which they serve shark fin soup but others are not interested in it, only you. You might think to yourself 'อย่างงี้ก็หวานคอแร้งนะสิ' because you can eat it all, no need to share it with others.

- In a competition, they assign you to do something which you are very skilled and you know that others can't do it better than you, you might think to yourself 'อย่างงี้ก็หวานคอแร้งนะสิ' .