The longer you live in a place, the finer the details you begin to notice. My first year in Bangkok was all about learning how the street food system worked, tuk-tuks, social etiquette and the language – things that you notice every day. But after a while, I started noticing the smaller details, the things that you only pick up on if the bigger stuff has become second nature. One of those things is the Thai immodesty when using the word ‘shit’ and the way in which it’s utilized in everyday language.
Back home, the act of doing a #2 (and its thousands of euphemisms) is something that’s really only discussed among the boys. Even then, it’s not something anyone really likes hearing. “I’m gonna take a dump” isn’t likely to precede a conversation about foreign tax structures of the complex nose of a fine Bordeaux. Usually it’s heard among the company of beer and/or naked dancing women and/or tents and campgrounds, and usually only with men. As far as men are concerned in the west, women have no need of this function and don’t do it. That’s that.
These motivational posters have gotten out of control.
These motivational posters have gotten out of control.Anyway, in Thai, the word is ขี้ (kee, with a high tone), and it pops up more than we’re familiar with back home, which might be a shock to many who aren’t expecting it. I can’t count how many times I’ve been in the company of lovely, classy, intelligent young women – close friends, new acquaintances and girlfriends – and heard them say “puad kee” (literally ‘I have shit pressure’ or, ‘I need to shit’). With closer friends or in a particularly comfortable relationship, it’s sometimes “kee taek” (literally ‘shit explosion’ or ‘diarrhea’). It’s takes a while to get used to the word being thrown around as if they were talking about brushing teeth.
Another funny element to this whole story is that the word kee is used to name so many things. A few offhand:
- Kee dtaa – eye shit, or sleep (the gunk in your eyes when you wake up)
- Kee huu – ear shit, or ear wax
- Kee mook – nose shit, or mucous (I guess a more appropriate word would be ‘snot’)
- Kee fun – tooth shit, or plaque
- Kee leb – fingernail shit, or dirt under your nails
- Kee rangkae – shit dandruff, or just dandruff
- Kee klai – dead skin shit, or just dead skin
- Kee niaow – sticky shit, or stingy/cheap
Using the bathroom in ancient Rome was a much more, uh… ‘social’ occasion than it is today.
And, as with many words in Thai, pronouncing kee wrong can have very different results. For instance, “to ride”, as in ride a bicycle, is kee (with a low tone). When I tell people about my bike rides, I’m very careful to tell them about my bike rides, and not the charming experience of crapping out a bicycle. You’ve been warned.
Mhh..I’m a 39 year old Thai woman and I don’t use the word “ขี้” casually or publicly, only in privacy of my own home. I reckon it’s a thing for new generation. You must have hung out with the young crowd.
Good point NSIPG. I guess not everyone uses that term, but I certainly do hear it more often than I would back home.
Also, in Thai “kee” is also used to mean like, having that character or quality or nature.
ie. Kee mow (drunkard) and kee len (playful) kee heung (jealous)
Kee nieow is more like ‘sticky character’ which is very similar to stingy.
I think the use of ‘shit’ and ‘kee’ is more indicative of how close your friends consider you. I don’t think its translates well in English. Instead of a general Thai attitude toward bodily functions, I think it just shows another layer of the Thai formal/informal speak, and the tendency for vulgarity of language to indicate you are close to someone. Kee is just informal speak.
anyway. just my opinion. nice blog though.