how koreans talk part 1

deery-lou.
for christmas christine gave me this book how koreans talk. its filled with a bunch of korean expressions/proverbs. i've been reading it at night and so far finished the first chapter which was about food. many of these sayings are quite funny on their own. they also give you a brief explanation of how the express came about and what it means. i'm thinking about adapting some of these for my own dirty meanings. hehe! anyway i thought i'd share some with you.

chapter 1: eat, eat: rice is everything

when will i have a chance to eat your noodles?
[guksu eonje meokji?]
meaning: when are you getting married? noodles are a common dish at wedding banquets. long noodles symbolize longevity, and are popular at celebrations such as birthdays of parents.

it's like slurping cold porridge
[sikeunjuk meogi]
meaning: it's a piece of cake.

the other man's rice cake always looks bigger.
[namui tteoki keoboinda]
meaning: the grass always looks greener on the other side.

i am cold rice.
[naneum chanbapida]
meaning: i get the cold shoulder from everybody. rice tastes better when hot.

small pepper is hotter.
[jakeun gochuga maepda]
meaning: koreans think short people are gritty. if you make fun of a koren man's diminutive stature, he might kick up dirt and charge toward you, fuming: "i will show you that a small pepper is hotter, you dumb telephone pole."…

just because you fear maggots doesn't mean you should give up making soybean paste.
[gudeogi museoweo janj mot damgeuna]
meaning: don't let obstacles deter you.

he can't distinguish between excrement and bean paste.
[ttonginji doenjanginji moreunda]
meaning: he can't tell good from bad.

more to come as i finish other chapters.

be well…