Thai Sayings and Phrases Wanted

[siamesekitty]

got me too!

[bannork]

I don't know the exact origins either, but I'm guessing it might have to do with the phrase ประสีประสา. As ไม่รู้ประสีประสา basically means to be naive, clueless, innocent, I think ตาสีตาสา, which conjures up images of some old guy who doesn't know what's really going on in the modern world, might originate from a sort of play on that phrase.

Thanks SK for your helpful advice, what a shame you disappeared for so long, please don't do a 'maizefarmer' on us (farming forum reference), otherwise we'll have to start scouring the country for you as well!

Anyway, I saw this phrase today, I think it's Chinese in origin, meaning, I think, an expert in brawn and brain.-มีความชำนาญทั้งเรื่องบู๊เเละบุ๋น

[siamesekitty]

LOL... คิดถึงเหรอคะ?

[siamesekitty]

Anyway, I saw this phrase today, I think it's Chinese in origin, meaning, I think, an expert in brawn and brain.-มีความชำนาญทั้งเรื่องบู๊เเละบุ๋น

I'm more familiar with the บู๊ part of the phrase, as action movies are called หนังบู๊

[bannork]

LOL... คิดถึงเหรอคะ?

บ่ได้คิดถึงเเต่คิดฮอด

[bannork]

Cautioning about how one should pause before admiring or liking someone I came across this- ถ้าหากจะรักหรือชื่นชมใครก็ต้องเผื่อใจไว้บ้าง this phraseเผื่อใจ intrigued me; does it mean something like 'weigh up' the person, consider their real character\ characteristics carefully before forming an opinion or liking for them?

[yoot]

Cautioning about how one should pause before admiring or liking someone I came across this- ถ้าหากจะรักหรือชื่นชมใครก็ต้องเผื่อใจไว้บ้าง this phraseเผื่อใจ intrigued me; does it mean something like 'weigh up' the person, consider their real character\ characteristics carefully before forming an opinion or liking for them?

เผื่อใจ - reserving some part in your heart for accepting anything which might happen differently from your expectation, so that you wouldn't feel upset much when it really happen.

ถ้าหากจะรักหรือชื่นชมใครก็ต้องเผื่อใจไว้บ้าง - If you love someone or admire someone you have to acknowledge the outcome. The one you love might fail you or the one you admire might not as good as you thought.

[bannork]

Thanks for that Yoot, a useful phrase, I've got another one that's bothering me- วิชามาร I've seen this several times and I think it means something like' underhand,cunning,dirty trick but I'm not 100% sure.

Any input would be useful.

[DavidHouston]

Thanks for that Yoot, a useful phrase, I've got another one that's bothering me- วิชามาร I've seen this several times and I think it means something like' underhand,cunning,dirty trick but I'm not 100% sure.

Any input would be useful.

Per Domnern Sathienpong, วิชามาร means "wicked / scheming". The Matichon dictionary says:

"เล่ห์กลสกปรกเพื่อเอาชนะฝ่ายตรงข้าม"

I wonder if the word isn't a combination of "วิชา", study of, and "มาร", [N] Mara; Satan (Lexitron). The more common meaning of "มาร" is "obstruction; obstacle; hindrance; impediment; barrier".

See Dictionary of Buddhism, section [234] "มาร 5", the five manifestations of the Satan.

Can anyone second that interpretation? Thanks.

Edited February 7, 2008 by DavidHouston

[yoot]

วิชามาร means "เล่ห์กลสกปรกเพื่อเอาชนะฝ่ายตรงข้าม" as in the definition from The Matichon dictionary. I would translate it to 'dirty trick' as Khun bannork mentioned.

Khun David, the word 'วิชามาร' is a combination of วิชา+มาร as you pointed out.

[bannork]

Thanks for the advice Yoot, I saw a phrase I liked today, the story was the announcement of the upcoming divorce between a former actress and model, Miss Yooyee and Frank, a Spanish tennis coach.

Separating because they can't get on and Yooyee wants to go back to acting Frank said:คงตัวใครตัวมัน which I think translates along the lines of;' Each must go his\her own way, not interfere with the other'.

Perhaps Frank could coach farangs in Thai as well as tennis!

[bannork]

I saw this as a headline today, apologies if it's been round before but it's such a classic- คางคกขึ้นวอ the toad clambers onto the palanquin\sedan chair\litter meaning to get above one's station, a jumped-up little toad, get too big for his boots\britches.

[siamesekitty]

Yes, similar to กิ้งก่าได้ทอง. The explanation actually got included in that post by accident: :-P

คางคกขึ้นวอ

เป็นสำนวน หมายความว่า คนที่ต่ำต้อยได้ขึ้นนั่งบนพาหนะซึ่งเป็นของเจ้านายชั้นสูง มีความที่ละไว้ว่า จึงแสดงท่าโอ้อวด หยิ่งผยอง เป็นคำเปรียบที่ใช้ว่าคนที่มีลักษณะเช่นนั้นให้เห็นว่า ให้มีความถ่อมตัว ไม่สุภาพ ไม่น่ารัก ไม่น่าคบ คางคก เป็นสัตว์ที่มีผิวหนังขรุขระ น่าเกลียด เนื้อนำมาเป็นอาหารไม่ได้ เพราะเชื่อกันว่ามีพิษ จึงนำมาเปรียบกับคนที่ต่ำศักดิ์ ไม่น่ายกย่อง หากมีโอกาสได้รับการอุ้มชูให้อยู่ในที่สูงก็คงจะลำพองใจ ทำท่าไม่น่ารัก

[bannork]

I saw a phrase today that may be useful for those in long term relationships who want to praise their partner for still being as good a person as all those years ago, whether it can apply to beauty I'm not sure.

เป็นคนเสมอต้นเสมอปลาย

The article was about an English taxi driver in his sixties who was marrying two Thai women in their thirties, they were bosom pals who'd vowed never to separate. The taxi driver looked like Jimmy Saville with a short haircut.

Describing the wedding, the writer describes the Thai male guests as หนุ่มไทยตาร้อนผ่าว which perhaps could be described as wide-eyed with envy.

[mangkorn]

"...English taxi driver in his sixties who was marrying two Thai women in their thirties..."

How does that work, exactly? Muslims?

[bannork]

He and the two ladies had the marriage ceremony in Khorat, for actual registration of the marriage I don't know what he will do.

[ElZorro]

That reminds me of the story of the twin brides.

[bannork]

I like this one I read yesterday, talking about someone who is solitary, doesn't have a circle of friends-หัวเดียวกระทียมลีบ-the empty outside leaf of garlic discarded as of no nutritional value so not added to the pot- alone, so lacking clout.

[Briggsy]

I like this one I read yesterday, talking about someone who is solitary, doesn't have a circle of friends-หัวเดียวกระทียมลีบ-the empty outside leaf of garlic discarded as of no nutritional value so not added to the pot- alone, so lacking clout.

Thanks for that, describes me! I've never heard it. It sounds quite negative. You've typoed กระเทียม but who's counting.

I think I've been described as ศิลปินเดียว which translates as someone who prefers or is happy to do things on their own. I suspect it's more charitable than the garlic phrase.

[bannork]

This was in the comic strip on page 8 of the Daily News, one of the best strips in my view- กระเหี้ยนกระหือรือ (อยากจะ.....) meaning itching to do, straining at the leash to do.

The context was the journalists desperate to interview Samak after his self imposed clampdown on interviews.

พวกเรากระเหี้ยนกระหือรืออยากจะสัมภาษณ์ท่าน

[CSS]

Hi guys and gals, I read the first eight pages of this thread and then jumped to the end, so I am not sure if these have been mentioned here before.

(Sorry unable to write in Thai font at this stage, not technically minded enough).

1. Mia taharn nap khuat bhlaow, mia damruat nap satang. = soldiers wives count empty bottles, policemens wives count money. = no real equivalent in English (เมียทหารนับขวดเปล่า เมียตำรวจนับสตางค์)

2. wela khao muang dta liew dtong liew dta dtam = when you enter a villiage where the people wink you must also wink = when in Rome do as the Romans do. (เวลาเข้าเมืองตาหลิ่วต้องหลิ่วตาตาม)

This site has some real Thai scholars, and it is a great pleasure to watch the battles of wits that often seem to erupt over seemingly innocuous differences in interpretaion. Keep it up guys.

Thanks, Dave

Thanks for the additions Dave. (Thai script added above)

p.s. hah, I clicked on the orange box which usually brings me to the most recent posting because I usually had followed the progression of posts, however, apparently I hadn't followed this thread since the time of my absence from the site so I was brought to a post from many many months ago thinking it was a post from yesterday. My post is certainly outdated and irrelevant but I'll leave it anyway.

Edited May 10, 2008 by CSS

[bannork]

Describing a flashy dresser or someone who likes to wear brand names I came across the phrase-มีฤติกรรมส่วนตัวโอ่อ่าอลังการ

[bannork]

Dear me, I'm really getting sloppy, I wouldn't make this error writing, yet typing I do! In the previous post there should be a พ before ฤ so the word (behaviour) reads-พฤติกรรม, apologies all round.

[bannork]

I saw a phrase today to describe a lawless society-บ้านเมืองไม่มีขื่อมีเเป a society without any beams, ie no framework or supporting structure

An interesting comparison of two of the factions in PPP was-สายเหยี่ยว คือพวก ปะ ฉะ ดะ ขณะที่สายพิราบ คือ พวก ละมุนละม่อมตะล่อม

the aggressive hawks against the gentler, softer doves. The writer uses nice rhythm and rhyme to compare the 2 groups.

[bannork]

I love these 2 phrases หมาเห่าใบตองเเห้ง -the dog barks at the dry banana leaf- when the banana leaf is dry, it's light, so it rustles when the wind blows; the dog is barking at nothing, comparing to a person who is all talk and bluster, no substance.

ลิงแก้เเห the monkey (tries) to untie itself from a net. In the past a fisherman kept a monkey, when naughty he put it in his fishing net and the more it wriggled and tried to escape, the more tangled it became. Meaning the more someone speaks ( or acts?),the more trouble he gets himself into, digging himself into a hole.

[meadish_sweetball]

Some real goodies there bannork, thanks for sharing.

[bannork]

I saw a couple of useful phrases yesterday. ขะล่าใจ to be overconfident or complacent. อย่างถ้อยทีถ้อยอาศัย recripocal, to mutually benefit 2 sides.

[bannork]

I like this one, if you cause others to suffer it will come back to you, what goes around, comes around.

ให้ทุกข์เเก่ท่านทุกข์นั้นถึงตัว

[bannork]

I've noticed a few phrases in the paper recently-

ปิ้งปลาประชดเเมว to grill the fish to spite the cat, to do some action with the intention of hurting another party but instead that party benefits; ie the teacher sends the naughty student out of the class thinking this will punish him but in fact the student's glad to be outside!

ตีงูให้กากิน hit the snake but the crow eats it-I attack, criticise, blame someone but a third party benefits.

ปลาตายน้ำตื้น-the fish dies in shallow water, the large fish should swim in deep water, it's blundered if it strays into shallow water, likewise an important person makes a careless error which can cause a large loss.

คนล้มอย่าข้าม don't walk over those fallen - don't insult or look down on those in trouble, ie bankrupt or facing serious problems as they may recover one day and then not forgive you. As opposed to ต้นไม้ข้ามได้ you can 'walk over', insult a fallen tree because it can't get up in the future!

[DavidHouston]

ปลาตายน้ำตื้น-the fish dies in shallow water, the large fish should swim in deep water, it's blundered if it strays into shallow water, likewise an important person makes a careless error which can cause a large loss.

Baanork,

I thank you for the saying above. It surfaced again in a scholarly article regarding the various agreements and treaties involved in the Phra Wiharn dispute:

ที่ต้องเน้นก็เพราะต้องการให้ผู้ใหญ่ในบ้านเมืองซึ่งตามกฎหมายระหว่างประเทศถือว่าเป็นผู้แทนรัฐไทย อย่าไปพูดรับปากใครง่ายๆ ตามประสาปากไว เพราะปลาใหญ่อาจตายน้ำตื้นได้!

My translation based on your explanation:

"We must stress (this idea) because we want the senior members of our administration who, according to international law, are considered as representatives of the Thai state, not to agree with anyone too easily. (This is) because "if an important person makes a careless error, the consequences can be deleterious."

In addition, I would like to understand the phrase "ตามประสาปากไว" used in the above quotation. I cannot find it in the dictionaries that I have nor does it appear in many Google references.

Thanks again for your input.

Edited July 2, 2008 by DavidHouston