Badass Korean — As Much as a Rat’s Tail

바가지 쓰다

[ba-ga-ji sseu-da]

to get ripped off; pay a lot for crap

The Flashcard

The original illustrated card, front and back.

Being Bad in Korea card back바가지 쓰다 — to get ripped off; pay a lot for crap

Meaning & context

문맥적으로, 바가지를 머리에 뒤집어 씀을 의미한다. 비속어로는 구매시 불필요하게 많은 비용을 지불했을 경우 사용되며, 빈 바가지를 들고 다니는 거지와 같이 될 것이다 혹은 어 디에도 사용될 수 없는 그 바가지를 머리에나 써라는 뜻을 내포하고 있다.

Literally “to put a gourd on your head,” and meaning that if you pay too much for something useless, you will soon become like a beggar with an empty gourd and nothing more to do with it than put it on your head.

From As Much as a Rat’s Tail · book pages 117–117. Original published text; historical references and usage are retained.

STORY TIME

See it in conversation

Korean

원형통 현찰

English

Cash on the Barrel

SeungMan

왜 바가지를 쓰고 다녀?

승만

Why did you bagaji sseuda?

DaeJung

뭐? 나 그런적 한 번도 없어.

대중

What? I never did anything of the sort!

SeungMan

그럼 나보고 네가 했던 햇볕정책을 성공적이었다고 믿으란 말이야? 회담 한답시고 얼마를 북에다가 갖다 바친거야?

승만

I guess your Sunshine Policy was a success then? How much did you pay the North to come to the bargaining table?

DaeJung

너와는 상관 없는 일이야.

대중

That’s none of your business.

SeungMan

완전 바가지 썼어.

승만

Really bagaji sseuda.

DaeJung

무의미했던 일 아니야! 난 노벨상을 받았다고!

대중

It wasn’t for nothing! I got the Nobel Prize!

As Much as a Rat’s Tail

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