Thai Phrase For....?

[plachonubon]

Anyone know of a thai phrase with a similar meaning to "are you taking the piss" (out of me)?

[meadish_sweetball]

In spoken Thai: ล้อเล่นรึเปล่าเนี่ย - when 'taking the piss' refers to pulling somebody's leg for fun. 'law[HL] len[FS]' is the operative word for 'leading somebody on', 'aw' is pronounced similarly to US English 'law'.

'Taking the piss' has more possible connotations than that though (for example I think I recall having heard it used about somebody who takes undue advantage of somebody else's kindness and/or taking something too far) - will leave those to withnail or somebody else who is more familiar with how the expression's used in English.

[Cuban]

In situations where a price is being discussed and the Thai opening bid/offer is crazy for one reason or another, I will say 'are you dreaming?' in my broken Thai-glish. If it works in your context, it's a little more gentle than refering to bodily fluids even if a direct translation is not used.

[withnail]

I think Meadish's example is fine in a very non serious situation but he's right that the phrase has numerous connotations.

An Englishman might say that someone were taking the piss if they were teasing him about his weight, if someone were giving him the sick buffalo story or even charging too much for a beer. So perhaps the OP could tell us of the situation he was thinking about in the first place.

I've often wondered about the word ประชด bprà-chót or ประชดประชัน bprà-chót bprà-chan. I think it might fit the more serious use of 'taking the piss', but I've not heard it used much, apart from in the song rak chan bpra-chot krai which talks about a guy who already has a girlfriend telling the singer he loves her.

I guess it could be translated as 'If you love me who are you taking the piss out of?'

The lexitron entry for the word bprà-chót is quite interesting as well

ผมจับหางเสียงไม่ถนัดว่าเขาประชดหรือเพียงแต่ล้อเล่น

Again a possible translation could be 'I couldn't tell from his tone of voice whether he was taking the piss or just joking.' Notice that Meadish's example forms the 'just joking.'

It suggests to me that bprà-chót has no possitive connotations as being sarcastic or taking the piss might. Now I think about it I think my gf once used the word with me. I've noticed that whenever I meet a Thai girl it takes them a while to understand my sense of humour as, being British, I probably take the piss a bit too much.

Edited December 16, 2008 by withnail

[Jeddah Jo]

I heard the word ประชด used once, and it seemed to be used in the context of an action that attempts to make someone jealous or feel bad. Did I completely get this wrong or does it really just mean taking the peee?

As for the OP when they wrote (out of me) at the end, I think the connotation there is someone taking undue advantage of a person's good nature, or not showing any consideration, or in more coarse slang 'why do you have to treat me like a c*nt'

JJ.

[meadish_sweetball]

I heard the word ประชด used once, and it seemed to be used in the context of an action that attempts to make someone jealous or feel bad. Did I completely get this wrong or does it really just mean taking the peee?

No, you were probably right. I am still not clear on ประชด. The first time I ran into it was when somebody, could have been my wife or somebody on this board, suggested it was the best translation for 'sarcastic'.

My Mary Haas Student's Dictionary has 'to be sarcastic, speak sarcastically, to ridicule with sarcasm' but I feel this is not a 100% complete definition.

I've also heard it used about about an old woman who went out begging in order to make her children look bad for not taking care of her. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think 'sarcasm' is the first word one would use to describe this in English?

[withnail]

I think you're right too JJ, but then in a certain context I think as an English speaker that could be 'taking the piss.' Essentially, it's a very multi-purpose British phrase and I don't think you really can translate it. Certainly, not just once. The OP's comment really gives no idea of context IMO.

I also agree with Meadish, I severely doubt that sarcastic is the best translation which is why I wanted to bring it up in the first place. Incidentally, sarcasm is not even easilly defined in English dictionaries.

[yoot]

Anyone know of a thai phrase with a similar meaning to "are you taking the piss" (out of me)?

I would say "คุณกำลังแหย่ผมเล่นอยู่ใช่ไหม"

แหย่ in this sentence means to tease or to provoke.

ประชด can be used in action or speech.

In speech, it means to be sarcastic, to use sarcastic or disrespectful comparison.

In action, as in the example of Jeddah Jo and Meadish. I can't think of the English word to explain it. You might see it sometimes on the news, ex. สาวผูกคอตายประชดคนรัก, ลูกหนีออกจากบ้านประชดพ่อแม่. It's the action that you do to yourself but intend to hurt the one you care.

[DavidHouston]

Anyone know of a thai phrase with a similar meaning to "are you taking the piss" (out of me)?

สาวผูกคอตายประชดคนรัก, ลูกหนีออกจากบ้านประชดพ่อแม่. It's the action that you do to yourself but intend to hurt the one you care.

How about, "to spite":

"The girl strangled herself to spite the lover (who jilted her)." "The child ran away from home to spite his parents"?

[withnail]

I would say "คุณกำลังแหย่ผมเล่นอยู่ใช่ไหม"

แหย่ in this sentence means to tease or to provoke.

Would you agree Yoot that ประชด is always negative? And can't be used the same way as ล้อเล่น

What about the other usage of 'taking the piss'? E.G. "Just because he has a better job than her there's no reason why she should make him pay for everything. That's just taking the piss."

Thanks

Edited December 18, 2008 by withnail

[yoot]

Anyone know of a thai phrase with a similar meaning to "are you taking the piss" (out of me)?

สาวผูกคอตายประชดคนรัก, ลูกหนีออกจากบ้านประชดพ่อแม่. It's the action that you do to yourself but intend to hurt the one you care.

How about, "to spite":

"The girl strangled herself to spite the lover (who jilted her)." "The child ran away from home to spite his parents"?

Well, I think I didn't make it clears on my post. It's not only the action that you do to yourself but intend to hurt the one you care, it can be the action that you fake it or pretend to do but it's against to your feeling. Ex. พอครูตีฉันเสร็จ ฉันก็ประชดครูด้วยการยิ้มหวาน ๆ ให้ครูพร้อมทั้งพูดว่าขอบคุณ, เจ้านายชอบสั่งให้ไปหยิบของบนโต๊ะมาให้แก แต่แทนที่จะสั่งทีเดียวว่าจะเอาอะไรบ้าง กลับชอบสั่งหลาย ๆ ครั้ง สุดท้ายผมก็เลยประชดโดยการหยิบของทุกอย่างบนโต๊ะมาให้แกหมดเลย จะได้ไม่ต้องมาสั่งอีก (I might end up being fired. )

[taxexile]

in withnails example i would use "aow priap" , to take advantage (of a situation).

for sarcasm , i havent seen mention of "gratop gratiap" yet.

does it have the same meaning as "prachot"

(sorry , no thai fonts at the moment)

[yoot]

Would you agree Yoot that ประชด is always negative? And can't be used the same way as ล้อเล่น

ประชด can be used the same way as ล้อเล่น only when you are joking with someone. But mostly, it's used in negative meaning.

For examples:

A: ใคร ๆ ก็บอกว่าผมหล่อ

B: อืม ใช่ หล่อจริง ๆ ด้วย หล่อเหมือนพระเอกหนังเลย

A: พูดจริงหรือประชด

B: พูดจริง (and then laught which means ประชด but in joking way)

Girl: เธอว่านายมาร์คหล่อมั้ย

Boy: ไม่เห็นจะหล่อเลย

Girl: อย่างกับว่าเธอหล่อตายนักนี่

Boy: อะไร พูดแค่นี้ต้องประชดกันด้วยหรือ (negative meaning)

What about the other usage of 'taking the piss'? E.G. "Just because he has a better job than her there's no reason why she should make him pay for everything. That's just taking the piss."

I agree with texecile, this should be taking advantage "เอาเปรียบ" or "นั่นไม่ตลกไปหน่อยหรือ" - Isn't the ridiculous? (In thai we would call this sentence as ประชดประชัน or กระทบกระเทียบ. Both have the same meaning.)

[withnail]

Thanks, both of you.

[Jeddah Jo]

How about, "to spite":

"The girl strangled herself to spite the lover (who jilted her)." "The child ran away from home to spite his parents"?

I think spite is definitely the closest English equivalent of ประชด, but again isn't spite usually used for something more malicious like a child destroying their sibling's toys just for the sake of it?

The first part of Yoot's description "It's not only the action that you do to yourself but intend to hurt the one you care, it can be the action that you fake it or pretend to do but it's against to your feeling." is exactly how I heard the word used, and I don't think spite quite covers this. Maybe there is no English equivalent of the above? I can't think of one anyway

JJ.

[DavidHouston]

I thank you all for this very thoughtful discussion. How about the use of "ประชด" in the following Thai saying:

ตายประชดป่าช้า . Can this have the same meaning as "To cut off one's nose to spite one's face"?

(Who would have thought such an in-depth discussion would have come from a metaphor about bodily functions?)

Edited December 18, 2008 by DavidHouston

[GarryP]

My two cents worth. First the song "rak chan bpra-chot krai". I would say means "Love me to spite someone" or "Who are you trying to spite by loving me?".

As to taking the piss, I do not think that there is a single phrase that would have the same nuance in Thai as taking the piss does in English. As you have all mentioned there are so many possibilities but it depends on the context as to which version to use. I would not use ประชดประชัน, as this infers sarcasm, nor would I use ประชด. I have used both and regularly hear them but never in the context of taking the piss.

[bannork]

An expression I've seen meaning to be sarcastic in a provocative sense is เเดกดัน

One that I saw a lot when Thaksin was in power, ie 'Chopping pork was easy in Trang' (Trang is famous for its pork and chopping pork is slang for something easy, thus he implied it would be easy to win in Trang), was เหน็บเเหม.

Another common one is พูดเสียดสี

Like other posters here. I've seen ประชด used many times to describe the reason for a suicide by a jilted lover, deserted wife, etc, but I can't accept that ' to spite' or 'to get back at' are quite the right words because it's no use if you're dead; there's no สะใจ , pleasure and satisfaction for the wronged party at seeing the object of their fury getting his comeuppance, for what can you see if you're a corpse!

Edited December 18, 2008 by bannork

[tgeezer]

Anyone know of a thai phrase with a similar meaning to "are you taking the piss" (out of me)?

It seems to me that this topic would be better if we try to imagine a situation where you would say to someone 'are you taking the piss' replace the word 'take the piss' with another word with the same meaning, deride, ridicule, mock, you could extend it slightly to open a person to such as, and the job done. How is that question put in Thai? Oh, there is piss-take, to parody some characterisic of a person, I suspect that it will be a different question in Thai.

[Jeddah Jo]

Anyone know of a thai phrase with a similar meaning to "are you taking the piss" (out of me)?

It seems to me that this topic would be better if we try to imagine a situation where you would say to someone 'are you taking the piss' replace the word 'take the piss' with another word with the same meaning, deride, ridicule, mock, you could extend it slightly to open a person to such as, and the job done. How is that question put in Thai? Oh, there is piss-take, to parody some characterisic of a person, I suspect that it will be a different question in Thai.

Final clarification from a native English speaker, I think there are two quite separate meanings of 'taking the piss' in English slang.

1) Among friends when teasing each other. 'Don't worry about John he is just taking the piss.' Which as you say may be just joking around to parody some characteristic or action of a person.

2) If when very angry you feel someone is treating you with contempt by taking advantage of your good nature you would say 'Why do you have to take the piss out of me like that?'

I think the OP is referring to the second example, so I would suggest the following very rude Thai which should probably never be used except among intimate acquaintances.

Tammai khun dtong liang pom meuan heeya!

But anyway I am a complete bodger in Thai so I have no idea if the above is even correct and I apologies for its vulagarity so please not too many flames.

JJ.

[tgeezer]

Anyone know of a thai phrase with a similar meaning to "are you taking the piss" (out of me)?

It seems to me that this topic would be better if we try to imagine a situation where you would say to someone 'are you taking the piss' replace the word 'take the piss' with another word with the same meaning, deride, ridicule, mock, you could extend it slightly to open a person to such as, and the job done. How is that question put in Thai? Oh, there is piss-take, to parody some characterisic of a person, I suspect that it will be a different question in Thai.

Final clarification from a native English speaker, I think there are two quite separate meanings of 'taking the piss' in English slang.

1) Among friends when teasing each other. 'Don't worry about John he is just taking the piss.' Which as you say may be just joking around to parody some characteristic or action of a person.

2) If when very angry you feel someone is treating you with contempt by taking advantage of your good nature you would say 'Why do you have to take the piss out of me like that?'

I think the OP is referring to the second example, so I would suggest the following very rude Thai which should probably never be used except among intimate acquaintances.

Tammai khun dtong liang pom meuan heeya!

But anyway I am a complete bodger in Thai so I have no idea if the above is even correct and I apologies for its vulagarity so please not too many flames.

JJ.

I am interested in the Thai equivelent to the questions I put so hopefully will get an answer there. I am over sixty and had to go to the dictionary to find out what 'take the piss meant' I have obviously used it often but in the third person, when the context would govern any meaning it may have, it is the sort of English which really doesn't matter. I think it has replaced 'taking the mickey' I wonder if it matters in Thai, culteral question really. One good thing about this forum is that I learn a lot more English than Thai, because I am supposed to be able to speak English. I wouldn't worry about being a bodger. (maker of chairs using foot operated lathe?) I looked that up and couldn't find it.

[Jeddah Jo]

I am interested in the Thai equivelent to the questions I put so hopefully will get an answer there. I am over sixty and had to go to the dictionary to find out what 'take the piss meant' I have obviously used it often but in the third person, when the context would govern any meaning it may have, it is the sort of English which really doesn't matter. I think it has replaced 'taking the mickey' I wonder if it matters in Thai, culteral question really. One good thing about this forum is that I learn a lot more English than Thai, because I am supposed to be able to speak English. I wouldn't worry about being a bodger. (maker of chairs using foot operated lathe?) I looked that up and couldn't find it.

Well no doubt British English slang is a pretty marginalised topic for an international Thai forum, but for anyone who has an interest in the topic here is a good site.

http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/

JJ.

[Bangyai]

Here are some other possibilities :

ล้อเลียน vt to ridicule

ถากถาง vt to make an oblique comment on

เหน็บแนม vt to talk insinuatingly , to carp at

If you had an accident and walked with a limp then caught someone copying you , you might say

Yah lor leean pom na .... Don't ridicule me

Of a politician you might say

Khao pood tahk tahng kon geng ... he's good at making sarcastic

comments about people

As my girlfriend says of me : Khun pood naeb neean mai ?? .... Are you making

insinuating comments ?

I guess none of these encompass ' taking the piss ' but languages don't always seem to have exact counterparts. Whats the English word for ' py teeo ' with all its connotations.??

Finaly, If you live in the Northeast ( Esahn ) ' pood sai ' instead of prachot.

An old girlfriend was always saying ... khun pood sai chan eel laew !!

This is not a Thai ( sai ) so not sure on the spelling.

Edited December 19, 2008 by Bangyai

[SWW]

Anyone know of a thai phrase with a similar meaning to "are you taking the piss" (out of me)?

Depending on context ('taking the piss' can have several meanings), one possible phrase for taking the piss seems to be กวนตีน (guan-teen).

My wife uses it a lot, and it seems to cover several of the strengths of 'taking the piss' from mild to moderately strong. Certainly from a Brit's point of view, anyway.

Hope this adds to the useful posts already here!

[Moothon]

"Glang" is an all encompassing word also that goes along with the context.