Is It Rude To Say "ting Tong"?

[CrankyCarrot]

I was joking around with a Thai woman I'd just met recently and said she must be "ting tong." Later another Thai who was in the group said I shouldn't use that phrase in polite company. I always thought "ting tong" was a fairly harmless, jokey way to call someone crazy - while "baa" was the stronger, rude version.

Am I wrong?

[tinfoilhat]

as with all things thai its situational, though it likely would be understood you were joking.

there is always some puritan around to tell you what is acceptable in 'polite company'.

I rarely however find my self in polite company, i am far more likely to be interacting with a peer.

[mauGR1]

Few years ago i was thinking that way, and i almost got in trouble with a street vendor who didn't appreciate my humour.

It simply depends IMHO on how close you are to the person you are talking to...I call my girl friend any bad word i know, and we have a laugh, but i would not do the same with anybody else.

[sbk]

Would you refer to a casual acquaintance that you'd only met recently back home as a "dingbat"?

[p_brownstone]

"Ting tong" is, basically, crude bar girl talk - use it and everyone immediately knows where you learnt it.

In other words - don't use it.

Patrick

[Chaam local]

It's true that some foreigners spend so much time in bars that they think the standard level of Thai is the one spoken by bargirls. So they use the expressions they learn there in all other situations, like this guy I know who uses the expression "top salop salai" every time he can. He thinks he's being funny, but eventually I'm afraid he will just get into trouble.

[CrankyCarrot]

The Thai who chastised me said that it was fine to call bar girls "ting tong" but not anyone else (unless you knew them well). I guess I probably did first learn ting tong from a BG, but I'd said it SO many times in SO many situations over the past couple of years without any negative reaction that it seemed absurd to me that anyone would consider it rude.

I break out "topsalopsolai" every now and then too, complete with triple-slap gesture - so that one's a faux pas too?

@SBK - I probably wouldn't casually accuse a stranger of being a "dingbat" back home, but I would use call them "silly" or "crazy." Dingbat is the closest translation?

[Briggsy]

In 16 years of speaking Thai, I cannot recall encountering the phrase ติงต๊อง outside of the bars. I may have heard in the cruder comedy films, not sure.

Best translation would be a buffoon or jackass. Someone who others find so crazy and stupid that he unintentionally brings attention to himself and makes other laugh at hm not with him. Much more commonly, perhaps exclusively, applied to a man.

[JoeLing]

If you're with Thai people and use "Ting-Tong" or "Baa" pointing at a farang,

you will get a lot of thumbs up but if it's used towards other Thai people it's

not very polite.

Not sure about Thai's younger generation but for the older Thai folks, using

"Ting-Tong" or "Ba" would put you about in the same category as someone

using "<deleted>" or "B****y" back in the UK.

[kriswillems]

It just sound childish to be. I've heard an adult using this word (except in those childish Thai soap movies).

It's language I would expect with not very much educated teenagers (mostly female) or young uneducated women.

It's not polite to say it about anybody except yourself.

And even calling yourself tingtong sounds very childish.

When I hear a farang using this word I immediately classify him into a specific group.... And probably Thai people will do the same.

Baa is a stronger and more rude word, but I think it sounds less childish and where I live people use this word often (when talking to friends). Even educated people use this word (but only when talking to close friends).

Edited September 27, 2012 by kriswillems

[Johpa]

Like many other Asian languages, Thai remains somewhat feudal in that some vocabulary, including pronouns, depend upon who is talking to whom, and also incorporates the self-perceptions of the two speakers. When engaging with strangers of any sorts, most Thais revert to polite language and avoid using slang and even avoid making jokes until a perceived social status is established. When in college I once offended a Thai woman who was several years younger than myself by addressing her as nong. The problem for her was that despite the age difference, she was a grad student and I was still an undergrad. One can easily imagine the opportunity for self-;perceived offense when using a true derogatory remark such as baa or ting tong.

And yes, there is a large vernacular that is specific to the bar scene and it cuts both ways. It is common for some Farang men to use, to their embarrassment, the vernacular in slightly more polite settings. And some Thai women who have married a Farang and who pretend to have no knowledge of the bar, and also have a clueless new husband in tow, can have some old work place vocabulary slip out.

[Tywais]

You may be surprised at how many places the term ติงต๊อง shows up. Just pop it into Google and YouTube to see what I mean. Bit presumptuous to assume it is bar talk only. Here is Longdo Dict's definition.

ติงต๊อง a man who is a stupid incompetent fool a person who amuses others by ridiculous behavior

See also: S. merry andrew, buffoon, clown, goofbozo, cuckoo, fathead, goof, jackass, <deleted>, zan

[thaicbr]

You may be surprised at how many places the term ติงต๊อง shows up. Just pop it into Google and YouTube to see what I mean. Bit presumptuous to assume it is bar talk only. Here is Longdo Dict's definition.

ติงต๊อง a man who is a stupid incompetent fool a person who amuses others by ridiculous behavior

See also: S. merry andrew, buffoon, clown, goofbozo, cuckoo, fathead, goof, jackass, <deleted>, zan

Agreed. My gf who is 30 and never been a bar girl says its fairly common to use it in a jokey fashion amongst friends. I think the Op just made the mistake of using it with a new person. I'm sure it was understood with no offense. Thais want us to speak Thai after all :lol:

Sent from my GT-P1010 using Thaivisa Connect App

[TommoPhysicist]

It's true that some foreigners spend so much time in bars that they think the standard level of Thai is the one spoken by bargirls. So they use the expressions they learn there in all other situations, like this guy I know who uses the expression "top salop salai" every time he can. He thinks he's being funny, but eventually I'm afraid he will just get into trouble.

Not sure ting tong is bar talk.

Absolutely sure salop salai is bar talk ....... along with heart talk, with good heart (and other heart talk) being the top monger/hooker chat.

[JaiRaiJaiDee]

Took a Thai course at a Wat in my own country, the instructor was giving us simple statements and having us relay them back to her in Thai (my house is near the train station, I would like 3 shirts, etc.). She asked one fella who was always cracking jokes to tell the guy next to him that he spoke good Thai and was a good student. He immediately retorted to the teacher in a manner that was clearly lighthearted and joking: "kun dting dtong?"

So, she stopped the class and gave a fairly good explanation of appropriateness. Wish I would've taped it. She basically said it's not polite outside of friends. And, her and her friends would put it in different ways (in other words, she never says it). It could make you look juvenile, and it could possibly offend - though people would likely get the gist. But her overall point was - don't get too casual dropping it around strangers.

It was something that had obviously come up before, and she put a little thought into.

[TommoPhysicist]

Here is the lady herself "Ting Tong" from Tooting

Edited September 27, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[Tywais]

She basically said it's not polite outside of friends. And, her and her friends would put it in different ways (in other words, she never says it). It could make you look juvenile, and it could possibly offend - though people would likely get the gist. But her overall point was - don't get too casual dropping it around strangers.

Excellent explanation of usage.

[KhaoNiaw]

My gf who is 30 and never been a bar girl says its fairly common to use it in a jokey fashion amongst friends. I think the Op just made the mistake of using it with a new person. ...Thais want us to speak Thai after all

Yes, using it with friends seems normal among younger age groups.

On the last point, I tend to find that in general Thais would rather you didn't speak Thai if it doesn't conform to their ideas of correctness and appropriateness. While they expect a lot of leeway towards their English, they can often become language Nazis when it comes to their own language.

[rgs2001uk]

Took a Thai course at a Wat in my own country, the instructor was giving us simple statements and having us relay them back to her in Thai (my house is near the train station, I would like 3 shirts, etc.). She asked one fella who was always cracking jokes to tell the guy next to him that he spoke good Thai and was a good student. He immediately retorted to the teacher in a manner that was clearly lighthearted and joking: "kun dting dtong?"

So, she stopped the class and gave a fairly good explanation of appropriateness. Wish I would've taped it. She basically said it's not polite outside of friends. And, her and her friends would put it in different ways (in other words, she never says it). It could make you look juvenile, and it could possibly offend - though people would likely get the gist. But her overall point was - don't get too casual dropping it around strangers.

It was something that had obviously come up before, and she put a little thought into.

When I was going to school in Bkk there was a guy who could speak Thai but didnt know what he was saying, he was just repeating what he heard the locals say.

Example, the teacher asked him, "how is the weather today?' answer, "its effin roasting".

Teacher in stunned silence, sniggers from a few students, Japanese students furiously trying to write down what had just been said, teacher eventually regians her composure and asks if his wife is from Issan.

This went on for a month, laughs everyday, teacher eventually had to take the guy aside and tell him to forget all he ever knew about speaking Thai and start from scratch. Trouble was as soon as he went home at night this is the language he was exposed to.

Dont know how many on here remember places like the Dara Cafe on Petchaburi rd, the language flying around in there when the comdedy acts were on was something to behold.

The mrs goes to these Lika shows, again at times the language is more suited to the docks or a building sight.

[tinfoilhat]

If you're with Thai people and use "Ting-Tong" or "Baa" pointing at a farang,

you will get a lot of thumbs up but if it's used towards other Thai people it's

not very polite.

Not sure about Thai's younger generation but for the older Thai folks, using

"Ting-Tong" or "Ba" would put you about in the same category as someone

using "<deleted>" or "B****y" back in the UK.

B****y?

[tinfoilhat]

Few years ago i was thinking that way, and i almost got in trouble with a street vendor who didn't appreciate my humour.

It simply depends IMHO on how close you are to the person you are talking to...I call my girl friend any bad word i know, and we have a laugh, but i would not do the same with anybody else.

i suppose the question here is why on earth would you call a street vendor crazy?

[JoeLing]

If you're with Thai people and use "Ting-Tong" or "Baa" pointing at a farang,

you will get a lot of thumbs up but if it's used towards other Thai people it's

not very polite.

Not sure about Thai's younger generation but for the older Thai folks, using

"Ting-Tong" or "Ba" would put you about in the same category as someone

using "<deleted>" or "B****y" back in the UK.

B****y?

Just a bit to many stars, Naaa? :-)

Blame, hmmm ........ my keyboard

Edited September 27, 2012 by JoeLing

[Tywais]

Dont know how many on here remember places like the Dara Cafe on Petchaburi rd, the language flying around in there when the comdedy acts were on was something to behold.

Been there and various night clubs on Petchaburi decades ago and probably where I learned most of the 'inappropriate' Thai words. Those Thai night club comedy acts can be quite raunchy.

[CrankyCarrot]

Great. I wonder how many other "harmless" words and phrases I've learned, parrot-fashion, that are actually mortally offensive.

Maybe I should have signed up at Walen after all.

[CrankyCarrot]

As I'd previously understood it, you had three basic ways to say crazy. From soft/jokey to strong/offensive: "Ting tong," "Baba bobo" and "Baa."

I'm guessing "baba bobo" is probably best avoided in polite conversation also?

@Tywais - I never called anyone back home a "goofbozo" before, but damned if I'm not going to start now.

[Murf]

Must admit i have never heard ting tong outside the bar scene...

[0xgemmax0]

Seriously? You guys have only heard 'Ting Tong' from bar girls. I am Thai and know Thai language very well (duh). Ting tong is not rude. I'd say the definition is the combination between crazy and stupid. I use this word with my friends and none of them take it seriously. I wouldn't use this word with strangers or someone I have just met tho, it could be considered rude somehow. It is like when you are joking around your friends calling them weird and stuff but you wouldn't do that to someone you have just met would you?

Another word I have heard a few foreigners talking about is 'Tob Salob Salai', which means when you slap someone and that person just faint or pass out. These guys told me that only bar girls use this word and they never heard it from anyone else... I don't know where they get the idea from. It is a word that everybody uses, might not be often but I believe that everyone would use it at one point, just for a joke whatsoever. And one more thing, nice Thai girls do not hang out at hooker bars, so if you happen to date one, at the point where you guys feel comfortable, you can use the words you have heard from bar girls, she will just think your Thai is good, hehe.

[Dag Ekeberg]

Thank you so much, it was very illuminating to hear from a real Thai. Keep posting!

Here are a couple of more terms, in case some of the posters ever tire of going around saying Top Salop Salai to people.

If somebody is สามสลึง, then they’re only three quarters operational… Or, simply ไม่เต็มบาท

Different words, but still potentially rude. Beware...

[SlyAnimal]

I always see Ting Tong as having a very similar meaning to silly (I learnt it from a Thai English teacher, so definitely not only a bar girl phrase), although I saw "dingbat" was used above, that might be a better definition, as it is a very casual word from what I've seen/heard. If you think about when you'd call someone silly or a dingbat in English, it wouldn't be to someone you've just met, and wouldn't be while in "polite conversation" (with your boss/high-so people/formal occasions etc).

Edited September 30, 2012 by SlyAnimal

[boggle]

Ting Tong = Silly

Baa = Crazy

Not bar language at all. Use commonly with family firends and kids. The mistake people make is when and with whom it is used.

I have a niece her name is Tong. Guess what I call her?