Chalerm says I should not say “oops!”. He claims it is a feminine expression only queeny gay people use. Chalerm doesn’t want me to be a queeny gay person.
I often say “oops!”. It is a nice little word. I used it today when I dropped a coin the manager in the Internet café gave me as change. It was a perfect “oops!” situation.
I like “oops!” for how it covers small accidents and mishaps. I like the comical tone of the word. It introduces an element of humour and smoothes the situation while also making it clear that I acknowledge something went wrong.
I don’t put my hand in front of my mouth when I say “oops!”. That would be girlish. I don’t do any theatrical body movements either, and I don’t make funny faces. I only say “oops!”. Still Chalerm says I should not use this word because it is too fem.
What do you think? Is Chalerm right?
February 20th, 2007 at 10:17 am
hmm saying OOPSIEEE with a slight bounce would scream queen.. Ooops.. nah.. not in my book
February 20th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Oops! is not as queeny as the tiaras that he would wear
February 20th, 2007 at 10:30 am
Instead, say F**K!!!
I think Chalerm will find that MANLY!!!
But why does he care??
I thinks he wants you to be the only KING in the mansion…
Cheers!!!
February 20th, 2007 at 10:34 am
I’ve said oops before, but not very often. I think most often people here (Ontario, Canada) say whoops instead of oops, which sometimes comes out as whups. As for oops being Queeny, I’ve never felt that way, but certainly Chalerm has a better cultural take on it than I do for Thailand.
Personally, I wouldn’t be caught dead in a Hello Kitty tshirt. not so for Chalerm! haha You might want to get a second opinion from another Thai person. Ask his grandmother what she thinks
Unfortunately what generally does come out of my mouth is the word “shit” when I’m alone or with my partner, or “crap” when among polite company.
What’s the Thai translation for “oh balls in a barrel of pig dung”? Use that and see what he says. You might find he prefers oops.
-Whystler
February 20th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
I too say “shit” when at home. The BF thinks it’s funny when I say it and now he says it too but it comes out more like “chit” as in Chit lom.
Yett mhaa is the Thai equlivant to the oh shit. Ohi ohi ohi is common too.
February 20th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
if you are in thailand you should say
hi yarrr
February 20th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
Chalerm gets really upset if I use the female particle “kha” as a joke. It is grounds for divorce, says Chalerm.
But he and his gay/tranny/bi/whatever friends use it all the time.
February 20th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Maybe “oops” means something else in Thai? Have you tried asking him?
One time I was with my Thai friends going to a really huge house and I commented how big the door is…
“That’s a big door!” I say and they all cracked! I repeated what I said twice more and still more giggles, laughters and woo-hoos.
I slapped them one by one on each cheeck.
February 20th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
I remember when I first heard Bill Cosby tell the story of the patient who was being operated on with only a “general” anasthetic so he was still awake when he heard the surgeon say “oops”. His response was “do you mean the same thing when you say ‘oops’ as when I say ‘oops’?” Ever since then, whenever I hear someone say ‘oops’ it makes me smile, no matter how unpleasant/embarassing the situation. Unless there is another Thai meaning (which seems entirely possible) I don’t think you are in danger of being thought less “manly” by bringing a little humor to an otherwise potentially awkward social setting. BTW Happy New Year!
all the best
February 20th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Chalerm is the female part of your duo, so he is supposed to say kha and all that queeny stuff. For you it stays to use the thai “ooy!” for everything oopsy. Ooy is manly, hard, perfect. “You the man!”
February 20th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Ever hear Chalerm prefex a persons name with Eh?(hight tone, I think) or say Eh doc tong? I am told that it a gay term of endearment meaning bitch. I guess it’s same-same, yo bitch what’s happin? I am also told never to say “eh doc tong”, very bad for farang to say. Thai can say, but not Farang, even if farang ting tong.
February 20th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
you can opt for ‘oyyy’ in lieu of ‘oops’ to appear ‘butch’…
February 21st, 2007 at 3:55 am
“doc” is flower, and it is employed in various kathoey slang terms of abuse/endearment to use with friends. Non-kathoeys (even if gay) should not use.
February 21st, 2007 at 8:24 am
My Thai bf was quite curious when I occasionally said “My Goodness!” He wanted to know what that meant. Hmmm, I thought to myself, and finally had to say that it was just an expression. I hadn’t realized how often I was saying it until he brought it to my attention.
February 21st, 2007 at 5:09 pm
My bf has adopted “oh shit” as his usual term of annoyance or surprise. Often uttered in inappropriate places (eg on the skytrain). He didn’t get it from me. And he gives me dirty looks when I blow my nose in public (into a handkerchief).
February 21st, 2007 at 9:07 pm
And the list of social do’s and don’ts goes on, and on, and on and…….
February 21st, 2007 at 9:34 pm
They say but they may not do as they say. But you should always do as they say. Not as they do.
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:08 am
“And he gives me dirty looks when I blow my nose in public ” yea, I get that too. He tells me I have to go to the hong nam to do that.