Kee Nee-Ho Sticky Sh*t

[Johpa]

Alas, your wife and my wife (a former school teacher) have been deemed as being but irrelevant prostitutes,. By the way I suppose we should shut down this particular forum now that the opinions of non-native speakers has been so thoroughly and absolutely dismissed. Or is it just that somehow, beyond expectation and straining credulity, that ThaiVisa has found someone who has some how yet again brought the bar down another notch. Khun Tommo, I salute you! But yes, everyone who has seen my posts here on ThaiVisa for the past decade and on SCT the previous decade knows just how much time I have dedicated my life to the hooker bars in Bangkok and Pattaya.

I'm sorry I've only heard sex workers and the families of sex workers use this phrase.

But I'm only telling it as I hear it. Insulting me for what I hear in everyday Thai live is fairly pointless.

But if you had to ask your wife, surely that means you aren't hearing the phrase often either?

Tommo, I did not have to ask my wife regarding this phrase, that was another poster, because I have heard it used in speech across the socio-economic spectrum for over 30 years now. Now admittedly, my time in-country over the past 25 years has been spent living amongst highland rice farmers and I confess that I am not currently nearly as up to date on the vernacular of the hostess bar scene as are you. And even my kids, who are now both fully bilingual adults, tell me some of the Thai slang terms I use are somewhat outdated while their own trendy urban Thai slang goes right over my head. But even a backwards old fart like myself can understand how the phrase might be heard far more frequently amongst the sex trade workers than amongst other sectors of Thai society and that this might cause some to erroneously assume that it is particular to that sector when indeed it is a phrase that is used throughout the society when the context is ripe for its use.

[AbeSurd]

ฝรั่งขี้นก น. ชื่อฝรั่งพันธุ์หนึ่ง ผลเล็ก ไส้แดง, โดยปริยายหมายถึงคนที่วางท่าเป็นฝรั่ง.

. . . noun. common name for a species of small guava with red fruit; metaphorically this word is used to refer to a person who puts on airs acting like a Westerner.

Thank you. Much appreciated. I've been wondering about that for a long time.

Now if you could just do the same for "kii niiao" you really might just about settle an awful lot of of bar discussions for good!

But coming back to "farang kii nok" ... The Thai word for a regular guava fruit (large, white flesh, ha ha) is a "farang". So I'm thinking that, to the Thai sense of humour and imagery, we farang (the human kind) are regular "farang" (guava fruit) - the real thing, as it were. Whereas a Thai who puts on Western airs is merely a "farang kii nok" - the smaller kind of farang, with red flesh - not "the real thing" at all.

Yes?

[DavidHouston]

From the Royal Institute website:

เหนียว-ขี้เหนียว

เหนียว หรือ ขี้เหนียว หมายความว่า ไม่ยอมใช้จ่าย เช่น เงินทองเรามีมากมาย อย่าเหนียวนักเลย ทำบุญบ้างทำทานบ้างจะได้มีความสุข. คนที่จ่ายเงินยากโดยเฉพาะเพื่อช่วยเหลือจุนเจือผู้อื่น ก็เรียกว่า เหนียว. คนขี้เหนียวบางคนอาจจะใจบุญ ทำบุญได้มาก ๆ แต่จะไม่อยากใช้เงิน เช่นให้ตนเองหรือผู้อื่น. บางคนจะขี้เหนียวเป็นบางเรื่อง เช่น แม่คนนี้ถ้าจะซื้ออะไรกินละก็เหนียวจริง ๆ แต่เรื่องแต่งตัวละเท่าไรเท่ากัน เขาคงจะถือสุภาษิตว่า "ของอยู่ในท้องไม่มีใครมองเห็น ของที่แต่งกายทำให้คนชื่นชมเชิดชู".

เหนียว หรือ ขี้เหนียว This term or phrase means being unwilling to spend, for example, “We have plenty of money; you need n0t be so stingy. If you make a donation [to the temple] or give money to charity, you will be happier.” A person who is reluctant to spend money to help take care of others is termed เหนียว. Some very parsimonious people are very generous in making donations [to the temple], but will not spend any money for their own benefit or for the benefit of others. Some are very frugal only with respect to certain types of spending, for example, “This woman is very tight about spending money for food; but she is very free-spending when buying clothes. Perhaps she takes to heart the saying, ‘That which is eaten cannot be seen; that which is word can be appreciated by everyone.’ ”

[Neeranam]

That's not my understanding of 'farang kee nok" - this type of guava is eaten by birds and through their shit they spread the guava trees(bushes?). farang kee nok is often said to Thais that have certain characteristics resembling a Westerner as a joke. Also, used to describe the typical scruffy westerner.

I wasn't talking about kee nok. I was talking about "farang kee ngok" ฝรั่งขี้งก which implies stinginess and many foreigners misshear as 'farang kee nok' ฝรั่งขี้นก which can imply scruffiness.

Edited October 27, 2012 by Neeranam

[asdecas]

That's not my understanding of 'farang kee nok" - this type of guava is eaten by birds and through their shit they spread the guava trees(bushes?). farang kee nok is often said to Thais that have certain characteristics resembling a Westerner as a joke. Also, used to describe the typical scruffy westerner.

I wasn't talking about kee nok. I was talking about "farang kee ngok" ฝรั่งขี้งก which implies stinginess and many foreigners misshear as 'farang kee nok' ฝรั่งขี้นก which can imply scruffiness.

Quite right, Khun Anonymous - there are too many people here with partial knowledge and understanding who jump in at the first opportunity to show off their superior grasp of Thai, often giving plain wrong answers.

[beammeup]

Alas, your wife and my wife (a former school teacher) have been deemed as being but irrelevant prostitutes,. By the way I suppose we should shut down this particular forum now that the opinions of non-native speakers has been so thoroughly and absolutely dismissed. Or is it just that somehow, beyond expectation and straining credulity, that ThaiVisa has found someone who has some how yet again brought the bar down another notch. Khun Tommo, I salute you! But yes, everyone who has seen my posts here on ThaiVisa for the past decade and on SCT the previous decade knows just how much time I have dedicated my life to the hooker bars in Bangkok and Pattaya.

I'm sorry I've only heard sex workers and the families of sex workers use this phrase.

But I'm only telling it as I hear it. Insulting me for what I hear in everyday Thai live is fairly pointless.

But if you had to ask your wife, surely that means you aren't hearing the phrase often either?

I hear this in the market just about everytime I try to bargan.

[weary]

Alas, your wife and my wife (a former school teacher) have been deemed as being but irrelevant prostitutes,. By the way I suppose we should shut down this particular forum now that the opinions of non-native speakers has been so thoroughly and absolutely dismissed. Or is it just that somehow, beyond expectation and straining credulity, that ThaiVisa has found someone who has some how yet again brought the bar down another notch. Khun Tommo, I salute you! But yes, everyone who has seen my posts here on ThaiVisa for the past decade and on SCT the previous decade knows just how much time I have dedicated my life to the hooker bars in Bangkok and Pattaya.

I'm sorry I've only heard sex workers and the families of sex workers use this phrase.

But I'm only telling it as I hear it. Insulting me for what I hear in everyday Thai live is fairly pointless.

But if you had to ask your wife, surely that means you aren't hearing the phrase often either?

I hear this in the market just about everytime I try to bargan.

Sums up my experience too. I hear this word used by people from virtually all walks of life in informal settings. All Thais know there are occasions you should be formal, and occasions where you should not - and many of them happily break the rules, too (although that may not be advisable for a foreigner).

[p_brownstone]

Alas, your wife and my wife (a former school teacher) have been deemed as being but irrelevant prostitutes,. By the way I suppose we should shut down this particular forum now that the opinions of non-native speakers has been so thoroughly and absolutely dismissed. Or is it just that somehow, beyond expectation and straining credulity, that ThaiVisa has found someone who has some how yet again brought the bar down another notch. Khun Tommo, I salute you! But yes, everyone who has seen my posts here on ThaiVisa for the past decade and on SCT the previous decade knows just how much time I have dedicated my life to the hooker bars in Bangkok and Pattaya.

I'm sorry I've only heard sex workers and the families of sex workers use this phrase.

But I'm only telling it as I hear it. Insulting me for what I hear in everyday Thai live is fairly pointless.

But if you had to ask your wife, surely that means you aren't hearing the phrase often either?

I hear this in the market just about everytime I try to bargan.

Unless you know the Vendor pretty well and she's just teasing you, to use this phrase in the situation you describe is bl00dy rude and I would never go there gain!

Patrick

[Neeranam]

Alas, your wife and my wife (a former school teacher) have been deemed as being but irrelevant prostitutes,. By the way I suppose we should shut down this particular forum now that the opinions of non-native speakers has been so thoroughly and absolutely dismissed. Or is it just that somehow, beyond expectation and straining credulity, that ThaiVisa has found someone who has some how yet again brought the bar down another notch. Khun Tommo, I salute you! But yes, everyone who has seen my posts here on ThaiVisa for the past decade and on SCT the previous decade knows just how much time I have dedicated my life to the hooker bars in Bangkok and Pattaya.

I'm sorry I've only heard sex workers and the families of sex workers use this phrase.

But I'm only telling it as I hear it. Insulting me for what I hear in everyday Thai live is fairly pointless.

But if you had to ask your wife, surely that means you aren't hearing the phrase often either?

I hear this in the market just about everytime I try to bargan.

Unless you know the Vendor pretty well and she's just teasing you, to use this phrase in the situation you describe is bl00dy rude and I would never go there gain!

Patrick

I agree Khun Patrick. I would be insulted. However maybe he's talking about the meat market, not the vegetable market

[naboo]

I've heard many a person use ขี้เหนียว to describe their boss, including people with masters degrees.

Not sure what world TommoPhysicist has been learning his Thai. There are more polite terms and its not a phrase I would use directly to someone's face, but its not some sort of 'bar girl' language.

[Murf]

If i have diarrhoea i tell my girlfriend ขี้... มันเหนียว

[eric67]

So does there exist something as "typical bargirl talk"?

And then I'm not talking about a foreigner who can barely string a sentence together in Thai, and mixes his English with the usual suspects, such as kee nieow, ting tong, top salop salai, and other words he obviously didn't learn in a language school. That surely will raise an eyebrow

But are there words or expressions that are used exclusively by bargirls and no other Thais?

I have never heard of any, so I would say not. If that is so then "typical bargirl talk" doesn't really exist.

[TommoPhysicist]

Heart talk

I always suspect anyone that start talking about good hearts, jai dee ....

Not normal talk among the Thais I mix with.

But it's never just one word that gives them away, usually they say all of them, multiple times, in the first 15 minutes.

[naboo]

Graeng Jai?

In a Thai Culture class, the head of the course told us that Graeng Jai was one of the key components of the respect nature of Thai culture. Do only bar girls talk about Graeng Jai?

Sia Jai is all over Thai pop music, Thai TV..... Are all pop singers and soap stars prostitutes?

If someone comes out with 'Mung Hia', or 'arai wa', in an inappropriate setting, then maybe. But even there, I've heard the most Hi-So person I know use 'arai wa' when trying to think of the correct English word in a meeting.

If you have any friends younger than 25, 'goo' and 'mung' are often used between friends as well as 'ee' and 'ai' - I'm talking university students CMU and Payap, not Rajabat) and young professionals here, not bar girls.

I think you've been getting lessons from a very snobby Hi So elder who would like you to believe that they are the best representation of Thailand, when the reality is very, very different.

(Again, I'll point out that I don't use 'goo', 'mung', 'ee' or 'ai' as I'm not comfortable with my language skills to not cause offence, but I do under my breath use 'arai wa' when I can't think of a word in Thai. In lessons, people won't learn these words, but when picking up language from Thai friends you will, no matter what their social status.

[Johpa]

If you have any friends younger than 25, 'goo' and 'mung' are often used between friends as well as 'ee' and 'ai' - I'm talking university students CMU and Payap, not Rajabat) and young professionals here, not bar girls.

We should note, at least parenthetically, that in Kham Muang, the Tai language spoken up north, ai and ee are familiar pronouns used commonly in the villages amongst friends. Be ware that these pronouns are most often offensive when speaking Central (Standard) Thai.

[naboo]

There's a definite difference in tone between the Kham Muang 'Aaii' (falling, long vowel) which is a respectful word commonly used (equivalent to 'Pi') and 'Ai' (m) which is the central Thai.

Wouldn't be trusting myself to get it right though!

[krisb]

I get tired of newbies thinking that 'kee neeiow' means sticky shit - it doesnt!

Also 'farang kee ngok' doesn't mean farang bird-shit.

who you calling newbie?

my Thais probably better than yours.

If you would like a competition to decide this on TV, just let me know.

The loser has to add newbie to their TV name ok?...sounds good to me....just let me know.

[krisb]

Heart talk

I always suspect anyone that start talking about good hearts, jai dee ....

Not normal talk among the Thais I mix with.

But it's never just one word that gives them away, usually they say all of them, multiple times, in the first 15 minutes.

Huh? jai dee is used. Where do you get that from?

[krisb]

So does there exist something as "typical bargirl talk"?

And then I'm not talking about a foreigner who can barely string a sentence together in Thai, and mixes his English with the usual suspects, such as kee nieow, ting tong, top salop salai, and other words he obviously didn't learn in a language school. That surely will raise an eyebrow

But are there words or expressions that are used exclusively by bargirls and no other Thais?

I have never heard of any, so I would say not. If that is so then "typical bargirl talk" doesn't really exist.

Your correct. No such thing as 'bar girl' talk.

To many think Thai must be learned in a Thai language school. Thats BS.

[rgs2001uk]

Heart talk

I always suspect anyone that start talking about good hearts, jai dee ....

Not normal talk among the Thais I mix with.

But it's never just one word that gives them away, usually they say all of them, multiple times, in the first 15 minutes.

Huh? jai dee is used. Where do you get that from?

In just about every bar I have been in a BG will refer to her latest conquest as being "jai dee".

I never hear them use the expression arom dee, probably because he isnt.

I was talking to a BG and referred to her conquest as, แฟน, bless her she quickly corrected me and referred to him as ลูกค้า.

The guy didnt have a clue.

[eek]

As other members have mentioned, its just about appropriateness. More formal or polite company.

Just imagine it was a conversation in English:

Conversation 1 (good friends): "God, hes as tight as a (insert your own version here )"

Conversation 2 (slightly more formal company): "To be honest, he isnt exactly one for dipping hands in his pocket"

(Very formal company = skirt past the issue and dont mention anything negative at all!)

...simple!