Korean Slang: As Much as a Rat's Tail: An Irreverent Look At Language Within Culture

Table of Contents

Intro

Dedication & Copyright

The Menu of Korean Slang

Cast of Characters

Disclaimer

Rat Ratings

How to use this book

How not to use this book

A Note on Transliteration

Dedication & Copyright

This manuscript is dedicated to ChangHyun, the Mandeugi of our book and inspiration for much of its mischievous nature . . .

이 책을 우리의 좋은 친구인 창현에게 바칩니다.

짖궂은 성격의 내용에 영감을 준 우리 책의 만득이 . . .

*    *    *

ChangHyun-ah, ChangHyun-ah museo-un ChangHyun-ah

You rascal, you rogue, you naughty naysayer . . .

What wicked words are you using now?

ChangHyun-ah, ChangHyun-ah ggeun-jeok-han ChangHyun-ah

창현아, 창현아 무서운 창현아

장난꾸러기, 악당, 개구쟁이 반대론자 . . .

지금은 또 어떤 고약한 말을 쓰고 있니?

창현아, 창현아 끈적한 창현아

Special thanks goes out to the many people who helped create, edit and design this new edition, as well as those kind backers from Indiegogo who helped me get it started! In particular, I would like to mention the generosity of our Associate Producer James Geraci, a true supporter of independent writing.

Copyright © 2009 & 2015 by Peter Liptak

The authors assert the moral right to be identified as the authors of the work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 978-89-962405-5-6 03700 | (Formerly 978 89 962405 0 1 13700) [Korea]

ISBN 978-1-936342-50-1 | (1st ed. 978-0-9801974-2-6) [USA]

eISBN 9781936342518

Korean Slang: As much as A Rat’s Tail / 쥐꼬리만큼

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Liptak, Peter N.

As Much as a Rat’s Tail / by Peter N. Liptak & Siwoo Lee. 2nd ed.

p.252 cm. 21.5

Includes index

LCCN 2009902042

ISBN 978-1-936342-50-1 (alk. paper)

1. Korean language – Slang. 2. Korean language – Education. 3. Language and culture. 4. Korean wit and humor

I. Title

LC Classification: PL913 .L57 2015

467/.09 21 KO 495.7834

Language Code: engkor

Exile Press LLC 2355 Fairview Avenue North, #191 Roseville, MN 55113

www.ExilePress.com

The Menu of Korean Slang

A classification system you can really sink your teeth into . . . Use these icons as a guide to understand where each expression comes from and when it should be used.

Cast of Characters

Main Characters

The Mob of Supporting Characters

Disclaimer

All of the characters and situations related herein are fictional and are in no way to be a reflection on any people or actions in real life. Any perceived parallels are merely coincidental, especially as related to ChangHyun.

Rat Ratings

The five rats at the top of each page represent that slang’s overall social acceptability. A rating of one would indicate that it is suitable for polite conversation; two rats will be acceptable for some or most informal situations; three crosses over into the realm of the vaguely vulgar (only suitable for close friends and even then, carefully); four rats is considered flat out obscene; and five is so offensive that it’s dangerous . . . you better

How to use this book

Read it! Study it! Memorize it!

Share it with your friends!

Carry it with you . . . EVERYWHERE!

How not to use this book

To teach your children English. (Hey kids, let’s practice!)

As a doorstop! (It’s far too light.)

To speak to your Korean boss!

A Note on Transliteration

OK, there is old school Idu, Macan-Reishauer, and the new Korean government system (in which Pusan became Busan, and people named Kim and Park are now all supposed to be Gims and Baks) . . . all of which are lacking in some way. So we adapted our own (loosely speaking), leaning towards the new government system, but sometimes choosing the most natural sounds for English speakers to understand. If you don’t like the transliteration, find that it varies between methods, or uses non-traditional methods, too fucking bad – just deal with it. This is not an academic document and we refuse to live by your rules.

[gan-ji-nan-da]

to look cool, fierce or snazzy; off the hook

제주도의 방언에서 유래한 것으로 생각된다. 제주도에서는 이 간지라는 단어가 ‘횃대’를 의미했다. 이 횃대는 옷걸이를 의미하는데 옷태가 잘 나거나, 옷입는 스타일에 감각이 있 는 사람을 보고 이 말을 쓴다.(또한 간지는 느낌을 의미하는 일본어로부터 유래되어졌다 고 추측되기도 한다.)

Literally off the rack, but closer to the English slang expression off the hook. Ganji (간지) is Jeju dialectic for hoidae (횃대), which means a coat hanger or clothes rack, and is used here to represent a person with a good sense of style as if a voguish sample on a mannequin or a clothes rack. (Ganji may also come from the Japanese word for feeling, as in to make a favorable impression.)

[gal-gu-da]

to tease, nag, irritate or annoy

갈구하다는 것은 본래, 무엇인가를 간절히 바라는 것을 의미한다. 하지만 어찌된건지 현재 는 친구들 사이에서, 특정 인물을 심하게 놀리거나 시비거는 행위를 뜻하게 되었다.

Originally meaning a craving, hunger or earnest desire, galguhada (갈구하다), it became a slang expression for mocking someone or poking fun at them. It is most often used among friends to get a reaction from (rise out of) them or even to make them angry.

2:8 [ee-dae-pal] 80% over the top, a combover.

ㅋㅋ [kh-kh] the sound of sniggering.

Blind Date 소개팅 [so-gae-ting] introduction mee-ting. See page 84 and 185.

[gap-i-da]

born in the same year; a peep or peer

‘동갑’이라는 단어가 줄여져, 같은 해에 태어났음을 의미하는 말이다. 특히 한국인들에게 는 동갑이면 대체 서로 친구로 지낸다.

Shortened from the Korean donggap (동갑), gabita describes people born in the same year. Such peers enjoy special relationships (read – instant friendship) in terms of closeness and social equality, which allows them to speak in less formal language to each other..

반말 [ban-mal] to speak comfortably, using low or informal language.

[gang-chu]

it rocks; two thumbs up

‘강력추천’이라는 단어의 줄임말로서, 무언가를 강력하게 추천하는 것을 의미한다. 강추는 온라인상 인터넷 채팅에서 종종 사용된다.

Roughly equivalent to the English it rocks, This expression is an abbreviation of gangryok chucheon (강력추천), meaning to strongly recommend something, gangchu started online in internet chat rooms by young people, but is now used in everyday conversations. Similar to It’s the shit!

Antonym: 비추 [bi-chu] not recommended; it’s shit!

Culturally Speaking

The Year of Speaking Plainly

Koreans place a great deal of importance on age in language, dividing people into groups of those older than them (who they must speak to with respectful or formal language ~ jondaetmal (존댓말)) and those younger than or the same age as them (who they may speak to with banmal (반말)). As such, Koreans have a special affection for someone their own age, sharing a common year in school, a common Chinese zodiac sign, ddi (띠), and more.

[gang-nam seu-ta-il]

uptown style; a pretense of affluence; a satire of swank

한국의 슈퍼스타 싸이의 노래제목과 같아 대중화되었다. 강남스타일은 서울의 생기 넘치 는 업타운 지역에서, 사람들이 입고 행동하는 것에 대한 논평이다. 유명브랜드가게와 비 싼 커피숍이 즐비한 로데오거리를 자주 다니는 사람들은 그들의 부를 자랑하기 위해 흔 히 그들의 외모, 패션, 그리고 과시적인 라이프스타일에 전념한다. 노래는 그들의 치장과 혼란스러운 물질주의 감정에 대한 풍자이다.

Popularized by the Korean superstar, Psy in his hit song, Gangnam Style is a commentary on how people dress and act on the sassy uptown side of Seoul. People that frequent its Rodeo drive of name-brand stores and overpriced coffee shops are often focused on external appearances, conspicuous consumption and an ostentatious show of wealth rather than more important things. The song is a satire of their dapper styles and muddled materialistic sensibilities.