# Strange "other culture" insults... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 18, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767 "2003-12-18T15:24:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/1 "2003-12-18T15:24:22Z")
This comes from Newsweek, citing an “Iraqi man who identified himself as a former soldier and now a mujahedin, to a Western reeporter in Hawija”: ``` "We want the world to know that Bush, the biggest criminal of all, and Blair, that **monkey of the desert** , will not be able to control the Iraqis". Monkey of the Desert ?! Just got to love these strange insults... not that I disagree... but Aldebaran might care to explain this one to us westerners ? Reminds me of an Arab League meeting where the two delegates, one Iraqi and another one I forgot, kept threatening to shave the Iraqi's moustache and the Iraqi delegate responded by threatening to shave his beard. Naturally the reporter was kind enough to explain that these are symbols of masculinity... and that shaving them would be a grave humiliation. ``` ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/2 "2003-12-18T15:26:01Z")
May the bird of paradise fly up your nose! ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/3 "2003-12-18T15:30:21Z")
An Iranian friend of mine says a popular insult there is “I shit on your father’s nose!”. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/4 "2003-12-18T15:34:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Revtim \* > \*\*An Iranian friend of mine says a popular insult there is “I shit on your father’s nose!”. \*\* WHAT !? That is wierd wierd wierd ! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/5 "2003-12-18T16:03:25Z")
An Iranian chum, way back in college, taught me how to say “Dog balls” in Farsi. Apparently, this term is multi-purpose profanity there, similar to the American term “Fuckin’ A” (circa early eighties usage). It can be used as an intensifier, an insult, an interjection, an adjective… Dog Balls. Don’t leave home without 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/6 "2003-12-18T16:06:18Z")
A friend of mine who was stationed for a year in South Korea told me that “Your mother has a bald pussy” was a big insult there. I also heard from a Chinese guy in college that “Roll away” is considered very insulting in China. It is apparently an elliptical way to call somebody a bastard. Turtle eggs roll and turtles don’t know who their fathers are. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/7 "2003-12-18T18:36:59Z")
Roll away Dog balls ! ---
**Author:** ![HayekHeyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/45deac/32.png) [@HayekHeyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HayekHeyst)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/8 "2003-12-18T18:39:48Z")
In ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ which takes place in Spain during the Civil War, there are all sorts of references to “defiling (by execretion or ejaculation or whatever) thy mother’s milk” or something like that. Any Spainards out there who can respond to that one? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/9 "2003-12-18T18:49:04Z")
I read that when Spanish men are arguing, and one of them emphatically points at his own necktie, the gesture means, “Your wife bought this for me!” ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/10 "2003-12-18T18:50:05Z")
In Russia, “Wrap it around your moustache” - or so I’m told. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/11 "2003-12-18T19:09:02Z")
The Inuit have a term “whale shit!” it is used with to denote displeasure with something really bad (situation or substance). “whale blubber!” on the other hand, is used for something really good. Sorta like "Rad, Dude! ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/12 "2003-12-18T19:35:41Z")
Not to interrupt this fun multicultural lesson, but is there a debate here? Seems more like a General Questions or IMHO topic to me… (Dog balls? Band name! 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/13 "2003-12-18T19:57:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by devilsknew \* > \*\*The Inuit have a term > “whale shit!” > it is used with to denote displeasure with something really bad (situation or substance). > > “whale blubber!” on the other hand, is used for something really good. Sorta like "Rad, Dude! \*\* May a whale shit on your father’s nose!😃 ---
**Author:** ![hypnoboth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/bb73d2/32.png) [@hypnoboth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hypnoboth)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/14 "2003-12-18T22:03:50Z")
Back before the whole Iraq invasion started, I remember the Iraqi foreign minister attending a meeting of the Arab league. He threw the meeting into an uproar by pointing at the Kuwaiti foreign minister and screaming what was translated in the press as, “I disrespect your mustache!” It is now my favorite insult. (Does this belong in Great Debates?) ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/15 "2003-12-18T22:10:03Z")
OK to make it worthy of the great debates… why do these arabic insults sound so outlandish and colorful ? Is it a prerequisite for a good insult ? ``` Or are western (in general) insults to focused on scatological (shit) and sexual expressions ? ``` ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/16 "2003-12-18T22:13:17Z")
[Moderator Hat ON] To IMHO. [Moderator Hat OFF] ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/17 "2003-12-18T22:53:46Z")
I heard that to call anyone who wasn’t your brother in law ‘brother-in-law’ was a serious insult in the Arabic language. (presumably because it insinuates that you have slept with their sister, rather than insuating that they have slept with your sister? Maybe the language has two terms for the different meanings of brother in law? ) ---
**Author:** ![myrnajean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@myrnajean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myrnajean)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/18 "2003-12-18T23:39:26Z")
Our favorites as children (we come from a multi-cultural family) were: (and these are probably spelled incorrectly by the way) Tu tiene la cara como un creaka, abreo ascendo phhhhhffft (_raspberrie noises_) meaning: You have a face like a cocha (vagina) thats open and saying rapidly phhhhhffft and Pu Tang Ena Mu! which translated from tagalog into “your mothers a whore” (our stepmother _taught_ us that one. And the all time favorite _you’d better run after saying this one_: “Aye conjo carajo mecajo en la miy que te paso!” which roughly means "shit on the mother that ever gave you birth. Unfortunatly, those where the only words I learned in other languages… darn. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/19 "2003-12-19T03:50:54Z")
Two Yiddish ones I heard tonight: “May you die of cholera.” “May you inherit a hotel of 100 rooms, and may you be found dead in every one of them.” ---
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767/20 "2003-12-19T13:42:23Z")
Then there is the French one, “Your mother was a hampster and your father smelled of elderberries!” What? Oh. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-other-culture-insults/219767.md?page=2)