What does, "Are you shy?" mean?

[Beachlover]

I sometimes get asked, "are you shy?" by guys.

I never really worked out what exactly they meant by this as it usually gets said in a bar or out and about... not when we're about to get naked or go skinny dipping or something.

Then recently at a club, this older farang guy who was really funny and charming (but not sexually attractive... to me) cracked onto me.

He was an expat business man with many years in Thailand/Asia and really very witty and interesting to talk to. It was mainly conversation at first... but I could tell he was keen to do all the physical stuff. He was hilarious... saying things like...

- What's that bulge in your pants?...

- Erm... my camera... see?

- No, not on that side... the other side.

- Um... my wallet?

- No, no, it's in the middle... sort of pointing to the right a bit.

- Oh... heh... that's just my jeans doing that.

- I'm really fascinated by that bulge you know... those Australian jeans are designed to do that... have this bulge... but is that you getting excited or is it the jeans?

- It's the jeans... I swear, it's all air in there

Anyway... you're probably reading this thinking, how unbelievably sleazy it sounds... but it wasn't. The way he said it in his West London accent... it was half charming/witty and half hilarious... I was cracking myself.

I enjoyed the conversation but didn't want to get into bed or anything. He was starting to get more and more physical... putting his hands around my t shirt on my abs and everything... so I sort of moved it away a bit. After a while he got the message.

He said... "are you shy?"... I said... "a bit"... so he said in his very British way, "well I should say good night."... It's probably the classiest and friendliest exit I've seen.

Anyway... after this, I realised the "are you shy?" question is probably another way of asking, "do you like me?"

Am I right?... Or is it supposed to mean something else?

[Aunty]

He probably can't work out whether you're just a cock-teaser, or genuinely shy.

"are you shy?" probably performed all of the above for the gentleman:

1) Let you out of an uncomfortable situation...

2) Let him get one last shot at seeing if he could pick up an trace of interest from you...

3) Avoided anyone having to come right out and either ask or answer 'do you like me?'

Once someone says they are shy when they are in the process of being picked up it is certainly a signal of no interest or 'not this time'.

T shirt and ab groping must have been worth the shot he took, BL, you little slut! ha.

Pushing his hands away (or moving away) probably did the trick. Also, may I recommend 'sorry! You're very attractive but I'm just not into your type!' No harm, no foul and nobody gets groped or left feeling stupid.

[Beachlover]

Yeah... that makes sense to me.

I'm just wondering if it's a commonly used phrase with a (supposedly) common meaning in Thailand... you know? Phrases like, "up to you"... "same same" and "I miss you"... which take a while to pick up when you're new. I guess it's sort of "semi-common".

He didn't grope or anything. He was behind me and put his hand on my shoulder... then later moved it downwards... so I sort of gently moved it away. He was a nice guy. Not creepy at all.

Anyway... I finally figured out what someone's trying to ask when they say, "are you shy" or tell you "I'm shy...".

[quote="Beachlover"]
-
. The way he said it in his West London accent... it was half charming/witty and half hilarious... I was cracking myself.

What, please, is a West London accent and how do you recognise it? I ask as a Londoner.

[Beachlover]

-
. The way he said it in his West London accent... it was half charming/witty and half hilarious... I was cracking myself.

What, please, is a West London accent and how do you recognise it? I ask as a Londoner.

No idea... to be honest. I meant it to mean a more upper class London accent.

Beachlover.......Your obviously not the sharpest knife on the rack!

I don't understand that comment, hereforme...can you enlighten me? I thought the story was charming and original, not at all contrived or meant to do anything other than to plaintively ask a simple question.

BL- I've never heard that the shy comment is widely used or common. I'm not even sure the Thais have a word for it. They aren't a very shy culture, by any means. They love gossip, asking questions and obviously are very romantic and forward.

BL- I've never heard that the shy comment is widely used or common. I'm not even sure the Thais have a word for it. They aren't a very shy culture, by any means. They love gossip, asking questions and obviously are very romantic and forward.

The Thai word for 'shy' is 'khi' pronounced 'I' as in 'eye'

The Thai word for 'shy' is 'khi' pronounced 'I' as in 'eye'

Good to know. I'm sure that Mark's boys at KD don't use that word often!

[Bob]

The Thai word for 'shy' is р╣Др╕зр╣Йр╕Чр╣Ир╕▓ pronounced 'I' as in 'eye'

Huh? What your printed there is pronounced wai-na in thai - and the word doesn't mean "shy" but, rather, according to my dictionary: "to act dignified, to put on airs, act big." (almost the opposite of "shy").

Edit: While I was posting this, I see you altered the word. It's pronounced more like "ku-ay" (rising tone). Alternatively, you can say "ku-ay kern" (both rising tones). Both words mean shy or bashful.

The Thai word for 'shy' is р╣Др╕зр╣Йр╕Чр╣Ир╕▓ pronounced 'I' as in 'eye'

Huh? What your printed there is pronounced wai-na in thai - and the word doesn't mean "shy" but, rather, according to my dictionary: "to act dignified, to put on airs, act big." (almost the opposite of "shy").[/quote]

I realised that after posting it Bob hence the edited post, thanks....

[Bob]

hehe....we're both posting/editing simultaneously. I'd write the thai word down here but can't seem to do it in thai script.

hehe....we're both posting/editing simultaneously. I'd write the thai word down here but can't seem to do it in thai script.

Yes I have the same problem when trying to type Thai which could get you into a lot of trouble, or out of it depending on which way you look at it LOL

try р╕нр╕▓р╕в - pronounced as a long "ai" like "eye" with a flat tone.

there is also р╕Вр╕зр╕в - "khuay" with a rising tone but u r better not to attempt that one, if you get the tone wrong its a very rude word.

You guys make it so discouraging contemplating learning the Thai language- written or spoken. Kudos to all who master it. It confounds me :-(

[cdnmatt]

You guys make it so discouraging contemplating learning the Thai language- written or spoken. Kudos to all who master it. It confounds me :-(

It's actually nowhere near as difficult as it looks like from the outside. Granted, there's quite a bit I don't understand, like why they decided they needed 5 different tones, or why they structured some of their vowels the way they did. On the flip side, quite a bit of the language makes very simple, logical sense, and clicks easily.

Give it a college try, it's actually not that bad. :-)

You guys make it so discouraging contemplating learning the Thai language- written or spoken. Kudos to all who master it. It confounds me :-(

Give it a try, once you start it becomes fun and more than interesting, and of course you will be surprised how the boys will accept you even more. Look at it this way, if a country boy with hardly any education can over a period of time learn to communicate in English (which is not a easy language for the non native speaker) then you should at least attempt to learn some Thai.

You guys make it so discouraging contemplating learning the Thai language- written or spoken. Kudos to all who master it. It confounds me :-(

So does the English language, for some - there is, for example, no "upper class London accent", although there are a number of different lower class London accents! Confusing .....

So does the English language, for some - there is, for example, no "upper class London accent", although there are a number of different lower class London accents! Confusing .....

Wait, GF! I didn't use the 'upper class London accent', someone else did! Never been there...the best I can do is maybe detect the Liverpudlian (is that the word?) accent because I followed the Beatles in their career- but even then...

When I read BL's post the first time I thought to myself 'I sure hope he's spent a LOT of time in London because he's gonna hear about THAT one'. BL- Did you school in London or was it just a bit of literary liberty?

[Smiles]

The last three letters of my last name are pronounced 'KEE'.

Now I've been with my guy fast approaching 10 years, and on the very first night we were together (Bangkok, Dec 2000) we were rather snuggled up in afterglow and after asking his full name, he asked what mine was. I told him (unknowingly), and was greeted with the great peels of a lengthy laugh fit. The explanation ~ coming only after I'd managed to slap him out of it ~ was that my name (or at least the 'kee' part) meant 'shit'.

Wonderful start to a relationship.

Well, Smiles, it's always best to start out at the bottom :happy7:

[Impulse]

Kor ra ka khun thai dai mai? Mai mee tung. Who knows what this means?

Kor ra ka khun thai dai mai? Mai mee tung. Who knows what this means?

sounds like р╕Вр╕нр╕гр╕▓р╕Др╕▓р╕Р”р╕Щр╣Др╕Чр╕вр╣Др╕Фр╣Й р╣Др╕лр╕б р╣Др╕бр╣Ир╕бр╕╡р╕Цр╕╠•Ñ€â••Ð—
meaning 'can I have the price for Thai people?' and 'I dont have a bag'

[Impulse]

Yes,you got the first part,but I though My mee tung meant, I have no money,not no bag.

well, thats the problem with trying to write Thai in this alphabet. usually 'u' is used for р╕╕ the sound, like oo in look, and 'a' is used for р╕▒ - like a in ago.
what you meant was р╣Др╕бр╣Ир╕бр╕╡р╕Хр╕■’р╕Зр╕Др╣М - sounds like mai mee tang. р╕Хр╕▒р╕З is short for р╕кр╕Хр╕▓р╕Зр╕Др╣М satang - 1/100th of a baht, slang for money. so of course that sentence means 'i dont have any money'. you might hear people say 'gep tang' when asking for the bill at a restaurant.

[Impulse]

Ok Dave,thanks for that.Ive memorised many phrases like that and i can't wait to use them in the proper situation.Ill be in los this Saturday.Im having fun trying to learn some thai.Its a beautiful sounding language.

Ok Dave,thanks for that.Ive memorised many phrases like that and i can't wait to use them in the proper situation.Ill be in los this Saturday.Im having fun trying to learn some thai.Its a beautiful sounding language.

here is another site that might help you www.thailanguagewiki.com (http://www.thailanguagewiki.com/index.php?title=Main_Page)
its still under construction so there might be a few bugs, and it doesnt have the romanisation done yet, but the lessons are pretty good. Its from a course developed by the US government in the 1960s.

[allieb]

-
. The way he said it in his West London accent... it was half charming/witty and half hilarious... I was cracking myself.

What, please, is a West London accent and how do you recognise it? I ask as a Londoner.

No idea... to be honest. I meant it to mean a more upper class London accent.


Oh I understand now. Speaking as if he still has a cock in his gob and delusions of authority . I know the type

[pong]

back to the original Q; yes, its AAY. it is far more often used in Thai as it would be in english. it is also a common explanation/excuse for someone not daring to approach or whatever. Also for small children who start crying when seeing farang.
AlsoI would not agree with that its a sure sign of non-interest-it may well hide an interest!
If you are not too aware of it-most likely situation to hear it is when the lights get dimmed in the sleeping room before the act.

[Beachlover]

Thanks Pong... nice to hear some clarification from a Thai :-)

It's the first time I've heard the question from a non-Thai. I guess this farang picked it up as he has lived in Asia for 15+ years.

[Beachlover]

No idea... to be honest. I meant it to mean a more upper class London accent.


Oh I understand now. Speaking as if he still has a cock in his gob and delusions of authority . I know the type

Yep... I meant a more "posh" or "non working class" British accent. No need for everyone else to get pedantic about formal meanings and terminology. He was a nice guy and really witty. I actually liked him... just not attracted to his looks.

On a side note he is the head of a prominent company. When he said what he did I asked which company it was. He gave me an unspecific description thinking I wouldn't work it out but I actually know his industry quite well and narrowed it to a certain company. I asked him and he panicked and said, "I'm in a gay club! I CAN'T say!" lol.