JUNE 27, 2015

AS MUCH AS A RAT’S TAIL- KOREAN SLANG 쥐꼬리만큼 한국 비속어 (SECOND EDITION)

Hello guys! I know it has been really long, in fact an entire year since I last posted anything on this blog and I do apologize for that. When I first started this space, I knew that someday such a long hiatus will come, and with school and an overseas internship opportunity that I was lucky to get, the hiatus began since last May. I was posted to Shanghai for a 5 months long internship from January 2015 till end May, and only recently came back to Singapore.

So, as a comeback to my Korean learning journey, which I hope will be persistent once I settle down with graduation, my job, and moving houses, I will be bringing you guys a new book review today. Well, technically, it’s not a new book, but rather a new edition of a book many readers of this space would be familiar with, given that it is one of the most popular posts on Seoul Suitcase. I have received many positive feedback about the review and that many of you are keen on purchasing it after reading my review.

In April, I was surprised to receive an email from the author of “As much as a Rat’s Tail: Korean Slang”, Peter Liptak himself, stating that he loved my first review of his book and asked if I was interested to do another review for the second edition of the book. which comes in a brand new cover, 60 new pages and tons of updates within. As I have previously done a review on the first edition, this post will be focused on the new updates that can be found in the newest edition of “As much as a Rat’s Tail: Korean Slang”.

The review of the first edition can be found here. So let’s start with the new updates you can find in the second edition of As Much As A Rat’s Tail: Korean Slang.

#1 A BRAND NEW COVER, WHICH IS MORE BADASS THAN EVER.

The first edition came in a white cover with a really tame looking mouse on it, but now the book has got a whole new look with a black and red theme, and its resident mascot, the mouse, donng the whole Gangnam style look. In the second edition, a new content page is also added in, and you can the effort that is placed into making it interesting for readers. 

#2 NEW CONTENT, WITH MORE ILLUSTRATION!

The second edition is updated with the latest slang, such as Gangnam Style, a term made famous in 2012 by Psy, and is used to refer to a lifestyle associated with those who lived in Gangnam District in Seoul. Be sure to catch up with the latest slang through this new book. In comparison to the old edition, the new edition comes with a “Rat Ratings” on top right corner of each page, indicating the overall social acceptability of each slang. One rat indicates that this slang is mild and can be used in polite conversation, and as the number of rats increase, one should be careful about how and when he/she should use the slang.

In the new edition, I also noticed more illustration being added into the pages. 

#3 UPDATED INDEX

The index has been greatly improved as compared to the one in the old edition, whereby the content was categorized according to the Hangul Alphabet system. In the new edition, the Index is categorized into “Subject”, “The Big List of Slang” and “Slang Supplemental”, making it easy for readers to search for the slang they want to learn about.

My overall opinion: So I have listed out the new updates you can find in the second edition of “As much as a Rat’s Tail: Korean Slang”, and of course you are able to read up on the previous review in the link above. Like what I have said before, this book is a self–enrichment for Korean learners who wants to gain a deeper insight into the Korean language, and to add a punch of fun in your learning. “As much as a Rat’s Tail: Korean Slang” has always been one of my favourite enrichment book when it comes to learning Korean, so for those who have yet to get yourself a copy, be sure to check it out. And for those who already had the first edition, if you love the book like I do, you can too update yourself with a new copy and impress your friends with your up-to-date badass korean slang.

Where to get it: You can purchase this book from Kyobo, TwoChois, Amazon, etc.
More about Peter Liptak and his book “As much as a Rat’s Tail: Korean Slang” can be found in the below links:
Peter’s Author page: http://peteliptak.com
Publisher: http://www.exilepress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AsMuchAsARatSTail
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@badass_korean
SeoulSuitcase Review: http://seoulsuitcase.blogspot.kr/2015/06/as-much-as-rats-tail-korean-slang.html