Oh, You Know What I Mean

Orlando Barton

 

 

When you come from a native English speaking country, you’re used to good grammar and spelling. Or at least, you think it’s important to use the language properly. In more litigious countries, you might even find yourself in a lawsuit over something you wrote or said improperly.

 

Thai people can be equally as prickly about their language. For years I thought my Thai was, at the very least, passable. I knew what I meant to say, and most of the time so did the poor Thai person forced to hear me butcher their language. That is, until I acquired a lady-friend who would have none of it. She went out of her way to correct me often and repeatedly. I wonder what she’s doing now.

 

We foreigners however are more forgiving about Thais using our language. We have to be because … 1) they are oblivious 2) it’s their country 3) they figure we know what they mean.

 

If you open your eyes to all that surrounds you, it can be quite entertaining. There are things that are slightly misspelled but have the meaning changed significantly. I saw a restaurant in Chiang Mai that was named “Memory Delicious” with a tagline of “you’ll always remember our food”. Unfortunately that’s not what the sign said … “Mamory Delicious” means something different to me.

 

Full story: http://www.inspirepattaya.com/lifestyle/oh-know-mean/

you should have been here in the 60's English signs everywhere were hilarious!

Mamory is a little-known free-source software which is derived from Linux, for categorising ROM-based libraries of info.

 

Far more interesting to some members in Pattaya might be MAMMARY glands, of which all mammalian females have 2, 4, 6 or more with which to suckle their new-born. Ahem.

 

Eddy

5 minutes ago, gamini said:

you should have been here in the 60's English signs everywhere were hilarious!

Thanks for the mamaries .

Many of the Thais with whom I text, Line or WeChat cannot even spell words or use correct punctuation in their own language. The same is true of native English speakers; how many English speakers posting in these forums think the plural of the noun 'Thai' is 'Thai's'?

 

I blame sexting - at least as far as I can re-mamba.

Thai tend to butcher their own language.

The wife tells me all the time.

So why not butcher English?

 

But of course, any foreigner speaking Thai, good or bad, never mind, no understand.

 

 

Inspire said,

" When you come from a native English speaking country, you’re used to good grammar and spelling. "

 

Leally? Have you ever read the posts on TV.

wasnt it Bob Hope whos theme song was Thanks For The Mamorys at least thats what he once sang to Ann Margaret

 

i just saw a sign the other day "athentic urapaen and thai food"

Excalty Development Co., Ltd.,  Thai name บริษัทจำกัด เอ็กซ์คอลตี้ ดีเวลล็อปเม้นท์

 

Being a company name, the registration was made in and while they probably meant to use a transcription of "Exactly", a company can be, and often is, a fantasy name, ie it does not have to be an existing Thai word or a correct transcription of a word from any language.

 

เอ็กซ์คอลตี้, the part of the registered company name which has been transcribed as "excalty" sounds like this on Google Translate:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=393656

 

What would be the correct transcription of "exactly" and how would would it sound when the Thai text is read?

I did some research and apparently "exactly" would be transcribed as อิคแซคทฺลี and read like this:

 

exactly - th.wma

While reading a menu in a local eatery I noted they had "Chicken Leg Sticks" and "Chicken Arm Sticks". Ain't no thing but a chicken wing!