몰카지
[mol-ka-ji]
(am I being) punk’d
The Flashcard
The original illustrated card, front and back.
Meaning & context
이 축약어는 한국 TV쇼 이경규의 몰래카메라에서 유래되었으나 연출되었거나 비현실적 으로 보이는 어느 상황에서나 사용하게 되었다. 미국의 TV쇼 Candid Camera와 Punk’
d 사이의 느낌이다. Literally “it’s a hidden camera, isn’t it.” This shortened expression meaning “something’s not right here” (said in response to a prank) is derived from a TV show in Korea named GyeongGyu Lee’s Hidden Camera. It has come to be used for any situation that seems staged or surreal and is less old-school Candid Camera, and more the Ashton Kutcher style Punk’d show.
From As Much as a Rat’s Tail · book pages 108–109. Original published text; historical references and usage are retained.
STORY TIME
See it in conversation
Korean
꿈 속의 한 장면 [번잡한 카페에 들어서며]
English
The Dream Sequence [walks into a crowded coffee shop]
어서 자리 잡아서 저 맥빠들에게 내 멋진 새 PC 자랑하고 싶다! [주위를 둘러본다.]
Can’t wait to get settled in and show off my snazzy new PC to all those silly Mac fans. [looks around]
어, 다들 윈도우를 사용하잖아! 잠깐, 이거 몰카지? 어디 구석에 Mac이 숨어있는 거 아냐? … 없어, 없잖아! 여긴 천국이야, 드디어 우리가 이겼어! 음냐…
Uh, everyone is using windows! Wait, this is molkaji?! Is Mac lurking in some corner?. . . Nope, nowhere! I’m in heaven, finally we’ve won! Mmmmm.
일어나, 일어나! 네가 어젯밤 조각모음하고 재설치 하느라 밤샌 거 아는데, 그래도 카페에서 자면 안되지. [PC 잠에서 깨 모든 테이블에 있는 Mac, 아이패드, 아이폰을 본다.]
Wake up, wake up! I know you spent all night defragging and reinstalling, but you can’t sleep at a coffee shop. [PC wakes up to see Macs, iPads and iPhones on every table]
뭐? 심지어 몰카도 아니야? 카메라 없어? 그냥 맥들뿐? 차라리 몰카에 당하는 게 낫지!
What? It’s not even a molka? No cameras? Just more Macs! I’d rather be punk’d!
From the book: notes & culture
Culturally Speaking
Koreans love taking pictures, of themselves, of their food, of themselves with their food. The selfies can get a bit excessive. I once watched a young lady taking selfies on the subway. . . In an hour plus train ride, she had still not gotten the shot quite right. She never stopped!
More Camera Slang
몰카 [mul-ka] (몰래 카메라) [mul-lae ka-mae-ra] a hidden camera
디카 [di-ka] (디지털카메라) [di-ji-teol ka-mae-ra] a digital camera
셀카 [sael-ka] (셀프 카메라) [sael-peu ka-mae-ra] a selfie
셀카봉 [sael-ka-bong] (셀프 카메라 봉) [self camera bong] a selfie stick
엽사 [yeob-sa] (엽기 사진) [yeob-ki sa-jin] a silly photo
먹방 [meok-bang] (먹는 방송) [meog-neun bang-song] food program (or pics)
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As Much as a Rat’s Tail
Illustrated Korean, bilingual conversations, and the stories behind the expressions. Read here, then keep the complete book close.
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