ติงต๊อง Ting Tong

[ya5702]

A friend refered to herself jokingly as a 'Ting tong girl'. What. if anything does this mean?

A derivation of the Chinese words spelled the same way. It has a broad meaning: "neither here nor there", "fickle-minded", "fussy", "difficult to handle", and others. It is not a derogatory term, however.

[sbk]

I wouldn't use ting tong with anyone I wasn't intimate with. One of our customers used it on our cook and she was deeply offended. I had to explain to the guy that it wasn't appropriate language for someone he didn't know.

[bannork]

I think ติงต๊อง dting dtong translates quite well as 'scatty'.

[thankuverybig]

i had a thai freind (lady,not bargirl) who used to call me ting tong alot,& it was all good humoured.

she told me it means cute/crazy.i think it can be a compliment,as we all know the thais dont like to take things too seriously.

whats the other saying that sonds like som nat naa ,which is sort of a version of serves you right,which isnt supposed to be said to strangers,but amongst my thai freinds its said playfully all the time.

either that or i need to find some new freinds

[DtingDtong]

I used dtingdtong quite frequently after some time in Samui, and nobody got offended by that...even said "baa" ones in a while.

Lol, just saw my alias here now, forgot that

Edited July 7, 2006 by DtingDtong

[Jack Jones]

I don't think there is a problem with using ting tong or bah with people you know. I often get called it because of my sense of humour. It's not derogatory if friends use it, just a tongue in cheek expression which should be taken in context with the situation

[papillon]

A few weeks ago I googled 'ting-tong' and followed up a lead to www.urbandictionary.com

I was mystified by the definition given - 'a white man with dreadlocks who thinks he's of Thai origin'. It seemed so improbable! Having read this thread, I now appreciate the rather curt irony intended by whoever placed this definition in the dictionary.

Edited July 8, 2006 by papillon

[Tingnongnoi]

I wouldn't say it is purely a bargirl saying, ive heard it everywhere and from many people that would have never been in a bar in their lives. I was told it was a light hearted expression amongst friends. I once was in Mcdonalds in MBK and a Thai women who looked fairly well to do, far from a bargirl was there with her young Daughter who looked about 3 or 4, the Daughter jokingly Waied the Ronald Mcdonald statue and the Mother sighed, shook her head and said it to her Daughter, with a smile on her face.

Edited July 11, 2006 by Tingnongnoi

[Rikker]

Yes, I concur there. It's an expression in general use, and from what I've heard used lightheartedly or as mild teasing.

[jdinasia]

here's my take .....

TingTong ... safe to use with friends and people in the 'trade" .. otherwise don't use it ... (proobably safe ... but calling someone a ditz can get you smacked ...

Baa --- only with friends (it means nuts .. like the folks wandering the streets talking to themselves)

Roke Jiit ---- insane in less apparent ways and MUCH more offensive .... (your typical flasher would be described this way)

[Buki]

Isn't Ting Tong one of the characters in Little Britain. The fat Thai lady boy whose name is actually Tong Ting. Does "tong ting" mean anything?

[sbk]

Yes, I concur there. It's an expression in general use, and from what I've heard used lightheartedly or as mild teasing.

Well, I guess it depends on who you are listening to.

Just discussed this with my Thai husband as well as Thai staff and they would never use this term with someone they aren't intimate with.

All 4 of them feel it is completely inappropriate to use in polite society with mere acquaintances.

[meadish_sweetball]

As always... context. Regional differences, social class, closeness, setting, personal sensitivity.

I wouldn't use it with people I didnt know well either, unless it was clear from the context that they were in a jocular mood, acted silly for a laugh and had their little gaudy party hats on.

[chuchok]

The death cry of Quasimodo was "ding dong".How dare you people make fun of this.It is no laughing matter.

[sabaijai]

My Thai friends in Chiang Mai use it quite frequently. Usually about a third party ...

[percy2]

When I arrived I was Ting Tong.

I progressed to being Bah.

Now I've been elevated to the heady heights of Prassart.

[sukhont]

It's impolite to say u are "Ting Tong" or "Khun Ting Tong". but I hear Thais use when they is talking about themself. It's not a good word in my idea. It feels like dumb, foolish, stupid and just like to do it without any reasons. some of my friends called themself like that. it's ok. but they will get angry when others said "khun Ting Tong".

if u want to use it, please notice about her emotion. if she is happy with u,it's ok but it's not, better leave it.

[sabaijai]

It's impolite to say u are "Ting Tong" or "Khun Ting Tong". but I hear Thais use when they is talking about themself. It's not a good word in my idea. It feels like dumb, foolish, stupid and just like to do it without any reasons. some of my friends called themself like that. it's ok. but they will get angry when others said "khun Ting Tong".

if u want to use it, please notice about her emotion. if she is happy with u,it's ok but it's not, better leave it.

As long as it's used in reference to a non-present third party, no one seems to care. And that is when it's most often used.

[sukhont]

u're right, Sabaijai. We use a lot for a non-present third party. but becareful about ur lovely friend(the second party) hehee. she might told the third party like, " Aiy Farang wa ther ting tong" mean "the foriegner said u are Ting Tong" lol. sorry for my impolite sentence.

[h90]

while the people from nakhonSithammarat, use bah often in a joking way.

can you give me a ciggarett--> bah mai?

buy natural food tomorrow morning-->Yes what time-->5 o clock--> bah mai?

yesterday at 5 o'clock I bought vegetables-->bah!!

seldom a sentence without bah. But only when they speak together, when they speak with people from central they don't use it (or might be also because they are not their friends??)

But it is definitly not nice thai...

Ting tong means crazy nit noi (little bit) according to my lady

call someone bah will get you in trouble that means you are crazy in a derogatory sense

dop salop salai a fav amongst pattaya sexpats and pidgin thai experts.

Better Sawao for now

it is quite rude though not to be used in a formal or polite setting. Bar girl speak...forget it and learn decent Thai. You will gain a lot more respect

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bah is another word for crazy that can be misused. When I first learned the word, I though saying "koon kon bah" was a playful way to say 'you are nuts'. It came across as me saying "You are a friggn idiot" ... the perils of learning a new language.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[supielicious]

"pure" (for want of a better word) bargirl Thai.

Don't use it.

Patrick

nuts

[britmaveric]

Mental/Nutty - same vein as baba bobo. I'd only use this in a joking fashion with someone I really know well.

[sprq]

Isn't Ting Tong one of the characters in Little Britain. The fat Thai lady boy whose name is actually Tong Ting. Does "tong ting" mean anything?

All is revealed here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ting_Tong_Macadangdang

[mangkorn]

The expression is not "som nat naa" but som® nahm(H) naa(F) - สมน้ำหน้า - which means "it serves you right; you got what you deserved."

You know, like if you trusted a bargirl with your ATM card, or something...

I had previously concocted a mistaken literal translation in my own mind, as "the proper amount of water thrown in your face."

But then I learned that "nahm" - apart from water, or liquid - also means the "essential characteristic of what is being discussed" (which also makes sense, as water is an essential characteristic if there ever was one).

Thus, "som nahm" would mean what it is proper and fitting, deservedly so. And the "naa" would connote right in front of you, unmistakenly so.

That said, it could be akin to the American street-slang: "In yo' face!"

Cheers.

Edited March 31, 2007 by mangkorn

[LonelyAmerican]

Are these words (phrases) that would appear in a dictionary? I have a couple of dictionaries, one Se-Ed that I use a lot and contains many impolite and profane words, and I don't see ติงตีอง or ตบสลบไสล in there. ติง is there, but not ต๊อง, nor ตีอง. ตบ and สลบ are there, but not ไสล (unless it is supposed to be สลาย). In general, I try to avoid impolite Thai phrases, but they are good to know so that you know what people might be saying about you. Some Thais think they can make derogatory comments about farang right in front of them, so it is nice to recognize the words that you never learn in classes or books.

Edited April 3, 2007 by LonelyAmerican

[jdinasia]

ting tong does NOT mean crazy .... more silly/goofy common wording to be used with friends and friends only.

Baa is far more harsh ....

Roke jit ... well that's dangerous mental (flashers/paedos etc ...

[Tyree D.]

it is quite rude though not to be used in a formal or polite setting. Bar girl speak...forget it and learn decent Thai. You will gain a lot more respect

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

One of the great beginner newbie mistakes I made when first I moved here

I still do it just to see them lose their face. Yes I have been slapped and socked in the balls on various occasions.

[canuckamuck]

I work with about 30 people; half of them are farang of various levels of fluency. The word Ting Tong comes up frequently as a polite ribbing of some one else on the team, or as a way to make light of oneself if you did something goofy.

Of course we don’t use it with mere acquaintances. I wouldn’t call people I hardly know goofy either, but that doesn’t make it bargirl talk. Informal language is a sometimes a sign of blending into a culture. It shows you are becoming more real. Use your language here like you do at home and your personality will come through. Unless you’re a jerk, than just say nothing at all.

[noungning]

lol funny i was calling my bf ting tong today and he says, "why do you foreigners like to say ting tong? i don't understand" hahaha so yea, they don't really use it in the over the teenage years stage! lol a majority of the thai's that use this would be teenagers, but there are still the older joking population that uses it here and there.

as my input to how it can be compared to... in my mind, ting tong can be compared to something along the lines of "you're odd" or "you're quite strange" lol... and like many's mentioned, it is to be used at a timely manner, you don't want to be in an arguement with someone and call them ting tong, it can earn you a black eye lol

[colino]

iv just asked the wife and god what i nasty look she gave me me thinks im in trouble A gain