07 September 2008

Student Annalog: You sangnom...

annalog: "Mom, what's 양반 (yang ban)?"

mom: "You know those people that sweep the floor, bow down, and say 'Yes, Ma'am. No, Ma'am'?"

annalog: "Yeah...

mom: "That's not them...양반 are the other people."

annalog: "What are the common people called?"

mom: "상놈 (sang nom)."


Cyndi, Annalog, and Doogal look at mom with perplexed expressions.


Cyndi: "이모, isn't that 욕 (yok)?"

mom: "Yeah. Now, people say sangnoma !@#&@, but before it didn't mean that."

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Today's Korean word(s) of the day are:

yangban: a member of the elite scholarly class during the Joseon Dynasty. (The men of this class wore those Korean style top hats that you see in the dramas.)

sangnom*: a member of the Korean plebeian class.

* Today, the term is used as a derogatory term implying that the addressee is an ill-bred person. Avoid using this term unless you mean to offend.

That is all.
Class is dismissed.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hahaha :D That cracked me up, lol!

Your mum is so cool, as we say in here: she's got no hair on her tongue. :D