As much as a Rat's Tail : Korean Slang (English and Korean Edition)
A Rat's Tail is loaded with the latest lowbrow lyricism Hangul has to offer, with readable ruminations regarding radical roots revealing the underbelly of contemporary Korean from the foul to the sublime.--Groove Magazine, SeoulIn his new and 3rd book `As much as a Rat's Tail,' author Peter Liptak along with Korean coauthor Siwoo Lee take the reader on a humorous journey through Korean slang and common daily expressions. 192 pages of amusing Korean phrases, their meanings, and how to properly use them provide a satiric and sassy glance at the local lingo and culture.Being entirely bilingual makes the book fun and easy reading for Koreans as well as foreigners living in Korea who probably find themselves in such typical situations as the one below:간지난다[gan-ji-nan-da]look cool or be cool; off the hookGanji (간지), Cheju dialectic for hoidae (횃대), which means a coat hanger or clothes rack, is used here to represent a person with a good sense of style as if an example of good style on a clothes rack or mannequin. Literally "off the rack," but closer to the English slang expression "off the hook." (Ganji may also come from the Japanese for feeling, as in to make a favorable impression.)Off the Hook소윤 Wow, you look ganjinanda. You going somewhere today?지윤 Ha, ha, my interview's today so I put some effort into it.소윤 Wait a minute! Where did you get those clothes?지윤 Off the hook in your bedroom. Why? You weren't using it.소윤 Off my hook? Well, I guess that makes me ganjinanda too.지윤 That's "off the hook!"간지난 놈SoYoon 너 간지난다! 오늘 어디 가?JiYoon 하하 오늘 입사면접이 있어서 신경 좀 썼어.SoYoon 잠깐만! 그 옷들 어디서 났어?JiYoon 네 침실 안 옷걸이에 걸려 있었어. 왜, 너 이거 안 입잖아?SoYoon 내 옷걸이에? 음, 그럼 나도 그 옷 입으면 간지나겠다.JiYoon 그거는 "off the hook!"이다. --PR Magazine, Seoul, October 2009