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I recently killed a cobra on my property, one that locals call "a termite mound cobra" because. they believe that's where their dens are. At the time we spotted each other, I was armed with a kambeut p'keak, usually translated as "long knife.", this one was slightly less than a meter long and the cobra slightly more than a meter long. Since most snakes can extend their strike approximately 2/3 of their body length correct distance is crucial.

Most of.my Khmer neighbors go for a slicing blow to the head which I consider too dangerous and my initial strike is the body center to break the spine, thus reducing the striking radius. Well I wrangled with a tough boned snake and had to take several blows to finally kill.it. I took it to my next-door neighbors for them to BBQ, but they refused it. " Why," I asked and was answered "ktikktwam" which means FUBAR- fucked up beyond all recognition.

Another useful word to describe an object on its last legs is "truittrom.", eg a dilapidated building or even a fragile elderly person.

Ktikktwam doesn't sound like a khmer word at all. But I don't doubt you.

andy_morris wrote: ↑Tue Dec 25, 2018 5:37 pm Ktikktwam doesn't sound like a khmer word at all. But I don't doubt you.

Maybe Jamie can help out. It may be a local word, but the villagers accept and use it.

When we moved to Cambodia it took us a while to accept chicken dishes that were little more than bone splinters - we referred to it as having been lovingly prepared with a baseball bat and a machete.

Well shoot! Better write that in Khmer Mr. Taa. My wife doesn't understand ANY of what you're trying to say.
Guess its lost in translation

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Barang chgout wrote: ↑Tue Dec 25, 2018 6:49 pm Well shoot! Better write that in Khmer Mr. Taa. My wife doesn't understand ANY of what you're trying to say.
Guess its lost in translation

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She doesn't understand any, you mean both English and my phonetic Khmer? My wife and next-door neighbors understand my spoken Khmer--including these two words. The words in both Khmer and English are real, perhaps operative in a limited geographical location, but real nonetheless. Tell Jamie they're from a song, he'll find them for you.

ខ្ទេចខ្ទាំ

K'tech k'twam

Or

ខ្ទេច​ខ្ទី

K'tech​ k'tee


My wife says the latter is closer to fubar, with k'twam being more 'pain' than total destruction.

epidemiks wrote: ↑Wed Dec 26, 2018 9:54 pm ខ្ទេចខ្ទាំ

K'tech k'twam

Or

ខ្ទេច​ខ្ទី

K'tech​ k'tee


My wife says the latter is closer to fubar, with k'twam being more 'pain' than total destruction.

Ok so after trying to pronounce those two as best i could my wife laughed until she had tears! Lol idk why. She said she did not say anything in Khmai lol

Got it now.
Romanising sucks.

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epidemiks wrote:ខ្ទេចខ្ទាំ

K'tech k'twam

Or

ខ្ទេច​ខ្ទី

K'tech​ k'tee


My wife says the latter is closer to fubar, with k'twam being more 'pain' than total destruction.

I'm still unsure why it is being romanised with a 'w'. As far as I'm aware that vowel doesn't have a 'w' sound attached to it at all.