식후땡
[shik-hu-ddaeng]
after dinner smoke; post-meal blaze
Meaning & context
간단히, ‘먹는 것’을 뜻하는 한자 ‘식’, ‘이후’를 뜻하는 한자 ‘후’ 그리고 지포라이터를 열 때 나는 ‘땡그랑 소리’를 의미하는 의성어 ‘땡’이 결합된 비속어이다.
So simple: shik (식) is the Chinese character for “eating,” hu (후) is the Chinese character for “after” and ddaeng (땡) is onomatopoeia for “with a clang,” as in the clang of a Zippo lighter being opened. Also: 식곤증 [shik-ku-jeung] after dinner drowsiness
From As Much as a Rat’s Tail · book pages 150–150. Original published text; historical references and usage are retained.
STORY TIME
See it in conversation
Korean
담배 피워줘서 고마워 2
English
Thank You for Smoking 2
밖에 잠깐 나갔다 올께.
I’m going outside.
뭐? 식후땡하러? 너 담배 끊은거 아니였어?
What? For a shikhuddaeng? Didn’t you quit smoking?
음, 글쎄...
Uh, well . . .
우리 얘기하고 있었잖아. 치, 매너없어!
We’re in the middle of a conversation. Ts, no manners!
아니야, 이게 매너 좋은거지. 어른 앞에서 담배 피우면 안되잖아!
No, its good manners. I can’t smoke in front of my elders!
그럼 내가 고맙다고 해야되나?
So should I say thanks?
From the book: notes & culture
Culturally Speaking
Well. . .
글쎄... [geul-ssae] Koreans tend to avoid confrontation, so rather than saying ‘yes’ and risk being caught in a lie, or ‘no’ and flat out lying, one might say “well. . .” or simply not answer and look down in a show of repentance.
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