We thai also have many idioms or slang...

for example :

"" Dum Naam "" ........When singer trying to sing English song but he has no idea about English or any other language..he just sing along and making a sound like the word he suppose to close to the meaning, eventhough he didnt know a word...( just make a tonation ) like many Elvis songs many singers shall make ...Dum Naam.....if he/she has no language skill of that song. But people who is sitting there and understand the song, would say to him....Look he is singing Dum Naam wah.

If you can sing Karaoke...in thai song..you can tell your GF that you also Dum Naam this song.

Phom Gor Rong Dum Naam Pleng Nee Dai Krab !! Any other examples from our TV's members here ?

Saothai:

There is no actual direct trans from Thai to Eng for 'Dum Nam'.

Exactly as you mentioned, you would have to actually, explain the meaning: example -

"Just sing along, but haven't a clue to the actual lyrics"

The probable reason why English doesn't actually have a direct trans is; one - most English speakers are only familiar with English songs and so....dont really need to 'dum nam'. Two - westerners dont usually even begin to challenge a song unless they have working knowledge of the lyrics.

Little bit of a mind difference there between caucasians and Thais.

Two - westerners dont usually even begin to challenge a song unless they have working knowledge of the lyrics.

Maybe for westerners restrained inside a western box...but from my observations, very untrue...

I, myself, born and raised western learned most of my Thai from dum naam to the karaoke screen...first cluelessly reading the english phonetics, gradually picking up the thai script. Though, initially, I didn't know what 80 percent of what was (trying to be) sung (thus dum nam), when the melodies grew on to me, I would pursue the meanings/vocab

I've experienced/seen many foriengers dum naam Thai country/pop karaoke songs, without having a clue about the lyrics/meanings, just emulating the sounds ย่างมั้ว

Though they were usually liqoured up

anyhow, suphan is correct on the general sense about there not being an english equivilent...

In such a case...let's say we were in a Estes Park coffee shop on Karaoke night...Joe (liquored up) gets on stage and chooses an F4 song (not only can't Joe speak Chinese, but the chances of an Estes Park coffee shop having an f4 song are not likely, just use your imagination)

Anyhow, Joe's friends and others who want to comment on what Joe is doing, would most likely say something like:

What the f$ck is he doing?! He's faking it. He's full of shit(e)

so not exactly any particular saying...though potential for hundreds of insults/curse words, etc.

Interesting the Thai language has a word for it.

Reminds me of film footage of the newly appointed Secretary of State for Wales, John Redwood, attempting to sing the Welsh national anthem in 1993 when he didn't know the lyrics.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2177192.stm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsa/n5ctrl/progs/po...est_moments.ram (no 9 in the list).

anyhow, suphan is correct on the general sense about there not being an english equivilent...

Anyhow, Joe's friends and others who want to comment on what Joe is doing, would most likely say something like:

What the f$ck is he doing?! He's faking it. He's full of shit(e)

so not exactly any particular saying...though potential for hundreds of insults/curse words, etc.

I would use the phrase "winging it", the phrase I would use to do describe my actions in my classes whenever my carefully prepared lesson plan quickly fell apart.

We thai also have many idioms or slang...

for example :

"" Dum Naam "" ........When singer trying to sing English song but he has no idea about English or any other language..he just sing along and making a sound like the word he suppose to close to the meaning, eventhough he didnt know a word...( just make a tonation ) like many Elvis songs many singers shall make ...Dum Naam.....if he/she has no language skill of that song. But people who is sitting there and understand the song, would say to him....Look he is singing Dum Naam wah.

If you can sing Karaoke...in thai song..you can tell your GF that you also Dum Naam this song.

Phom Gor Rong Dum Naam Pleng Nee Dai Krab !! Any other examples from our TV's members here ?

Saothai, shouldn't the spelling be ดำน้ำ as in diving?

And is that because the singer is underwater so nothing is very clear, murky like his or her singing? Or is it because this singer sounds like someone singing underwater, namely,gurgling and gargling?