I have appreciated being a part of a discussion group led by @reply1988 But I have to admit, it’s a little intimidating because everyone else in it is so smart and cosmopolitan, and I’m a very provincial Californian. So I’ve had to try to dumb down the conversation to my level a bit, which I did successfully last week by taking a very principled, and I thought well-reasoned stance on the importance of a passionate kiss as the culmination of a kdrama romance. But that led me to think about what to call such a kiss. I looked up to see if Korean had such a word, and I couldn’t find it. And English slang is fine with non-passionate kisses, but totally fails when it comes to the kiss that combines the intensity of new love and (perhaps more than a smidgeon) of physical desire.
The “peck” is clear, for morning greetings, thank yous, hellos. The “smooch” is a bit more, for I missed you, its good to have you in the house, I appreciate you. But looking up “what is a passionate kiss called” brings this Wikipedia entry: “a French kiss, also known as cataglottism…may be a mode for disease transmission, particularly if there are open wounds in the mouth.” But you won’t find me saying “Why didn’t the two leads engage in consensual, contagious, cataglottism.” It will put my comment over the Drama Beans word limit!
I know the (generally female) fan terms describing kisses as “swoon-worthy,” and “squee-worthy” The problem I is that I don’t think I’ve ever swooned in my life. Well, maybe if Kim Hee-Seon suddenly appeared at my door, I’d hit the floor unconscious. But I think I’d probably just panic and start saying the only Korean word I know, gamsahabnida repeatedly while she addressed me in perfect English. As far as “squee” I love that onomatopoeic word, that if said by an enthusiastic young woman makes everyone immediately understand the nature of the kiss. If I say “squee” though, it sounds like a piglet crying for its sow–not exactly the image I want for a deeply romantic moment.
Does any one know of a word in any language, for a passionate kiss, that I could use for kdrama purposes? In the U.S. we are taught in elementary school that the Inuit of Alaska have 50 words for snow, which I think is probably a myth. But isn’t there some very romantic culture that has 50 words for kisses?
Open Thread #790
Source: Buzz Pinay Daily
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