나발불다
[na-bal-bul-da]
swig it; suck it down; brown bag it; knock back
Meaning & context
축어적으로, 나팔을 연주하는 것을 의미. 과거에는 일반적으로 사용되지 않았던 방식으로 이것은 술을 병째로 마시는 것을 표현하는 것이다. (나팔을 부는 모습과 흡사하다고 하여 이렇게 일컫게 됨)
Literally, to play the trumpet, this refers to the habit of drinking alcohol straight from a bottle (putting your lips to the trumpet, so to speak), which was not commonly acceptable until recent times in Korea because manners dictated that one should pour into and drink from a glass. This expression is similar in connotation to the English practice of “brown bagging it” though closer in meaning to “knock one back” or “knock back a cold one.”
From As Much as a Rat’s Tail · book pages 54–55. Original published text; historical references and usage are retained.
STORY TIME
See it in conversation
Korean
1차, 2차, 3차 기절
English
1-cha, 2-cha, 3-cha, Drop
벌써 많이 취했네? 많이 마셨어?
You’re already totally drunk? Did you drink a lot?
응, 이게 3차째야.
Eung, this is 3-cha.
시우 왔옹? 나 안보고 싶었옹? 왜 이제와아아아앙~
SiWoo-ya you came? Didn’t you miss me-e-e-e? Why you come now-w-w?
도도한 희연이가 왜이래? 희연이 술 안 좋아하잖아.
Why is our proud HeeYeon like this? She doesn’t even like drinking?
무슨 도도한 희연... 얘 1차부터 나발불고, 2차 때는 코르넷 불었다가 지금은 잭다니앨을 병째로 불고있는 것 봐!
What proud HeeYeon? From 1-cha she was nabalbulda, by 2cha she played the Cornet and now look at her trumpeting with that bottle of Jack!
From the book: notes & culture
Culturally
Speaking
1-cha, 2-cha, 3-cha, drop!
The Stages of Korean drinking
Koreans rarely drink at home, except with family and so when drinking with friends or coworkers, they must go out. Socializing with Korean businessmen after hours usually means a series of drinking rounds and changing venues. The first round, or 1-cha in Korean, usually involves a meal and some soju. 2-cha, or second stage, often entails a change to whiskey and beer. And in 3-cha almost anything goes – and it’s likely that you won’t remember anyway. Luckily, there is often a chance to bow out between stages and especially between the 2nd and 3rd stages. Otherwise you might have trouble waking up the next morning to attend an important business meeting or catch a flight. Note: Most Koreans think that it is impolite to drink alcohol straight from a bottle. Soju bottles, which are about the size of a 12 oz. beer bottle, are poured into small shot glasses with many specific mannerisms. And until recently, most beer bottles in Korea were much larger in size and rather awkward to drink out of.
The Straight Scoop
옹, 옹 & 아아아앙 [ong, ong & a-a-a-ang] Korean girls often use such endings to be cute or put on a display of winsome innocence.
The Flashcard
The original illustrated card, front and back.
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