Kurisumasu Keki (kris-mas kay-kee): Christmas cake
e.g. It's the delicious treat (seen below) enjoyed by Japanese people during the holidays. For some reason, they believe that Americans eat this and fried chicken (YES, I'm talking KFC here, people!) on Christmas!!
Anyway, it has another meaning...it means an unmarried woman after the age of 26. Because nobody wants Christmas Cake the day after no matter how sweet and pretty it looks! This is, what I like to call, LAME.Himitsu (hee-mee-tsu): secret
e.g. You'd think that because of this horrible Christmas cake business, people would keep pretty quiet about their ages. Wrong (or "Chigau"!)!!! People ask me my age all the time- and people often like talking about how old they are. But also, being a foreign person here means that most things about your life are about as UNsecret as it gets. I have to admit though, it's kind of flattering to have people talk about all the random stuff I do everyday. Now I know how Britney feels!
Toshi desu kara (toe-shee dess kah-rah): Because I'm old.
e.g. I use this phrase all the time- it always gets laughs! Like I was at a barbecue the other day and some dude was like "Why aren't you drinking?" And I just said "Toshi desu kara." And he was like "Ehhhhhhh? You're younger than I am!" Maybe, but he doesn't have to worry about becoming a holiday pastry!
2 comments:
I LOVE LOVE LOOOOOVE the Christmas cake logic.
And why would we think we eat that? Have they never seen a Christmas movie? Weird.
So no pronouncing the "u" in 'masu' or 'desu'?
Lux, you're a quick one!! Usually the "u" is kinda under-pronounced (like oh so many consonants in American English).
Like, the capital of Shiga is Otsu, but when people say it, it sounds like they're talking about breakfast cereal. Quaker Honey Otsu.
haha Yeah, I think they have lots of weird myths about the U.S. They also think it's really, really dangerous- the whole country!!!!
hahaha Yeah, the Christmas Cake idea is pretty huge here. (One of the teachers at school was talking to me about how SHE used to be Christmas Cake cos she got married at 30! Awwwwkward.) Though there are a TON of women here who aren't married well past 26. But I guess it's ok since they all look 22.
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