ANDY ADKINS
Vietnamese "Lingo"
The reader may find two of the languages offensive.
- Ao dai (pronounced "owzeye") - the native costume of Vietnamese women. It has a mandarin collar and is very tight in the bodice with the skirt split to the waist. Worn over loose silk pants.
- Ba mui ba ("33") - Vietnamese beer. Rumored to be spiked with formaldehyde.
- Ba muoi lam (pronounced "baa-mooee-lahm") - Vietnamese for the number 35. Means the same as "butterfly;" a playboy.
- Bac si (pronounced "bak see") - doctor, used for corpsman.
- Bic (pronounced "bik") - Vietnamese for "understand." "No bic" means "I don't understand."
- Biet - (pronounced "byet") - I know. "No biet" means I don't understand.
- Cahn Sat - Vietnamese MP or National Policeman.
- Cam on (pronounced "cahm oon") - Vietnamese for "thank you."
- Chao co (ong) (em) (pronounced "chow coh (ohm) (em)") - Vietnamese for hello or good-bye, Miss (Sir) (to a child, animal or very close friend).
- Chieu Hoi (pronounced "chew hoyee") - the Vietnamese-administered "Open Arms" program for defecting enemy soldiers. (See "Hoi Chanh."). Also, a safe conduct pass for above.
- Co - Vietnamese for girl, woman.
- Coka - Vietnamese pronunciation of "Coke."
- Con biet? - Vietnamese for "Do you understand?"
- Dai Uy - Vietnamese for "captain."
- Den day - Vietnamese for "come here."
- Dep lam (pronounced "dep lahm") - Vietnamese for "too pretty (or handsome)."
- Dep qua (pronounced "dep whah") - Vietnamese for "pretty."
- Dep trai (pronounced "dep cheye") - Vietnamese for "handsome."
- Di di (mau) (pronounced "dee-dee (maow)") - Vietnamese for "go away (fast)" or "haul ass" or "get lost."
- Dien cai dao (pronounced "dee-in-kee-daow") - Vietnamese for "crazy in the head." Usually used to denote intoxication or insanity.
- Du-dit (pronounced "doo di") - Vietnamese for "fuck you!"
- Dung lai (pronounced "zoong lye") - Vietnamese for "halt" or "stop."
- Giac My (pronounced "zock me") - Vietnamese term for American GIs (American bandits).
- Hoi Chanh (pronounced "hoyee cahn") - a returnee. An enemy soldier who voluntarily gave himself up. Many are employed by the Vietnamese government or the U.S. Army. Referred to as "Kit Carson Scout" by infantry units.
- Khong lau (pronounced "kohng laow") - Vietnamese for "nevah hoppen."
- Lai day (pronounced "lye dye") - Vietnamese for "come here."
- Lam on (pronounced "lahm oon") - Vietnamese for "please."
- Mau len (pronounced "maow len") - Vietnamese for fast, or speed. As in "Let's mau len it up a bit, Papasan."
- Moi - literally, "savages." Vietnamese term for Montagnard tribesmen.
- No Bic - Vietnamese response that they don't speak or understand English.
- Nuoc man (pronounced "noouk mom") - the Vietnamese national dish; fermented fish sauce.
- Quanh Canh (pronounced "kwuhn kein") - Vietnamese MP (military police).
- Sinh Loi - Vietnamese for "Sorry about that!"
- So mot (pronounced "sah maht") - Vietnamese for "numbah one," the best.
- So mudi (pronounced "sah mooee") - Vietnamese for "numbah 10," the worst.
- Ti ti (pronounced "tee-tee") - Vietnamese for "small" or "little bit."
- Tien Lien - Vietnamese for "forward" or "charge."
- Toi khong biet (pronounced "toy kohng bee-ech") - Vietnamese for "I don't know" or "I don't understand."
- Toi yen em (nhieu lam) (pronounced "toy you em nyoo lahm") - Vietnamese for "I love you (too much)."
- Troi oi (pronounced "choyee oyee") - an emphatic expression in Vietnamese which can mean just about anything the user wants it to mean. Troi duc oi (choyee duck oyee) is the same expression more emphatically stated.
- Xau lam (pronounced "saow lahm") - Vietnamese for "numbah ten thousand" (indescribably bad.).
- Xin loi (pronounced "sin loyee") - Vietnamese for "Sorry 'bout that." American GIs also used this term to mean "tough shit."