What's wrong with "Auntie"?

I often hear the euphemism “Aunt Flo has come for a visit” in English. Maybe it was borrowed from that?

Auntie, in English, is more common in the UK and former British colonies.

In the US, nobody over the age of four is going to use the term.

Hmm, I’ve heard “good friend” but not that one. Same vein I guess

the missus uses 那個, as in 今天我那個來了

I think you can use that for a lot of things.

Uhhhh…

Oh, and in the south.

This question is loaded, it depends who you are, and where you are using that term, as well as the respective culture of the person you’re speaking to. The term is less literal, than it is a borrowed foreign-cultural concept being expressed using the closest English word.

In North America (speaking to Canada and the United States), the term “auntie” is just a variant of the word “aunt” referring only to a family relationship with a person. The only exception tends to be if a mother has a close female friend, though proximity a child may call this person “aunt” or “auntie” to connote familial closeness. This is the neutral state of the language, not pulling in any cultural context.

I can only speak to the cultures I’m aware of, and in this case, Hong Kong uses the term “auntie” (not “aunt”) as a polite variant of “that mid-aged woman”. Usually it’s reserved for after you’re married, and before you become a grandmother. The male equivalent is word “uncle”. From my understanding, this also applies to Indian culture.

Thus, Hong Kong English, and Indian English use this term when speaking English. It pulls in concepts from the respective host culture and applies it to speaking within English. I’d describe it as a cultural thing more than a proper language thing.

I’m sure many other cultures have their own concepts that they try to express through the very generic word “aunt”.

In Korean culture, they use the term “ajuma” and “ajuhshee” which don’t translate to “aunt” and “uncle”, but are also specific terms used for those who are older than you and are married (it’s also insulting to use that term to someone who is young). Because it doesn’t directly to the terms “aunt” and “uncle” as it does in the Chinese language, the closest direct translation would be “older woman” or “older man”. Therefore there’s no need for Koreans to “borrow” a different word to use in that context.

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Among Chinese in Singapore and Malaysia, probably due to their colonial past, every conversation regardless of the language (English, Mandarin, Hokkien, Canto, …) will call the a-yi of the situation auntie, or aunty as they usually write it over there. I would use it for any lady who’s old enough to be my mother, or more. A-ma (grandma) only if I visit a friend’s house and meet both the auntie (his/her mum) and the a-ma (his/her grandma).

Based on my experience, jiejie, or better dajie, is for a lady that is in-between my age and that of my mum. That one is not translated.

Indians use auntie as well, while Malays translate the concept into Malay as makcik. If a Chinese refers to a Malay auntie, she will be called makcik even in a Mandarin conversation, and viceversa for Malays.

It’s a funny cultural difference to get accustomed to. I remember being laughed at loudly the first time that I addressed my classmate’s mum as Mrs Lee and my mum rolling her eyes at a plumber who “dared” to call her auntie :rofl: :rofl:

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In certain parts of southern England “auntie” can refer to Aunt Sally; a popular public house game involving throwing a stick at an image of an old woman’s head. I know a world champion of the game.

It probably originated in China and involved real live heads.

You learn something new every day. In the future I’ll have to ask English people I meet if they’ve played Aunt Sally.

That’s unlikely to work. It’s very local, although we did have a team from South Africa over once.

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What do you mean? I hope to be able to explain it to them :laughing:

(Name)jie is often used in work settings as a respectful way to refer to older/senior female colleagues.
In the workplace, ah yi is only used for women in lower level jobs like cleaners or catering staff.

They probably won’t have heard of Aunt Sally and, being Brits, will no doubt take exception to having it explained to them

I think you’re finally getting it :slight_smile:

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It’s a tricky game. Knocking the dolly off is really difficult. It’s all in the wrist and takes years of practice.

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We should get a game going here.

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I’d be up for that. You just need a pole with something on it and some heavy sticks.

How heavy? It would have to be some kind of head