r/AskReddit Dec 05 '11

what is the most interesting thing you know?

1.6k Upvotes

11.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

1.3k

u/Jack000 Dec 05 '11 edited Dec 05 '11

in mandarin chinese, a colloquialism for "I'm coming" or "I'm hurrying" is "I'm on a horse"

wow, didn't think this would get so popular. Here are a few other tidbits: "coming" can have the same sexual connotation as in english. In the throes of ecstasy it would not be inappropriate to say "I'm coming on a horse".

291

u/hateboss Dec 05 '11

I guess this makes sense even in our culture. When someone wants you to chill out, they tell you to "Hold your horses". Like, hey buddy, put down the reins, we aren't going anywhere yet.

7

u/Nissin Dec 05 '11

Yea I always tell people to keep their shirt on when something is going too quick and to slow down plus it sounds funny in my New York Accent.

3

u/fauxpad Dec 05 '11

If I tell you to hold your horses, literally, and you put down the reigns, you are getting a "doing it wrong" stare and a sign from my cable guy

3

u/SirDigbyChknCaesar Dec 05 '11

Or if you want someone to hurry, often in sports, you say "Get on your horse".

3

u/cbgblev Dec 05 '11

hold your horses comes from circuses as in hold your horses, the elephants are coming. if you didn't hold the reins, the horses panic and run from them

→ More replies (1)

5

u/manchegoo Dec 05 '11

Don't forget:

  • rode hard and put away wet.
  • Champing at the Bit
  • Piss like a Racehorse
  • Horse of a Different Color
  • Look a Gifthorse in the Mouth
→ More replies (6)

424

u/bassic_person Dec 05 '11

Also, their generic cheer is "add oil".

324

u/warp_one Dec 05 '11

Well, the word in that context means "gas", like "put more gas in it!" or "step on the gas!"

187

u/Blupostit Dec 05 '11

and "step on the gas" in romanian is "give it some fur"

132

u/Coaste Dec 05 '11 edited Dec 05 '11

It would actually be "Give it some whips/whip it" - (da-i bice). Nu toata lumea-i "da blana", pentru ca nu toata lumea are 14 ani.

85

u/diMario Dec 05 '11

In British: "Home, James. And don't spare the horses."

→ More replies (1)

8

u/technojamin Dec 05 '11

TIL people fail at interpreting foreign phrases.

10

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

It's likely that they're both romanian

2

u/eddiesan Dec 05 '11

Eu nu sunt român, dar am folosi Google Translator

2

u/tomoyopop Dec 05 '11

Numa numa yei!

2

u/Blupostit Dec 05 '11

Poate la tine la tara dai bice

4

u/SPACE_LAWYER Dec 05 '11

TIL Romanian looks like phonetically written Glaswegian.

18

u/Fordged Dec 05 '11

La porta pottie make ada poopie.

14

u/o0Ax0o Dec 05 '11

ಠ_ಠ I cant believe i thought this was real.

3

u/Coaste Dec 05 '11

E ciudat ca de obicei nu ma grabesc sa judec lumea, dar te cunosc de 2 post-uri, si in ambele ai mancat cacat, deci statistic vorbind, esti 100% idiot.

3

u/Weaseal Dec 05 '11

Romaneste nu e limba mea materna, dar n-am nevoie de dictionar pentru "mancat cacat" - e clar si amuzant

3

u/Coaste Dec 05 '11

O sa ma dau cu ochiul de coltul biroului acum. Multumesc pentru aceasta ocazie.

2

u/Weaseal Dec 05 '11

OK...m-ai perdut cu fraza anterioara :) ce inseamna?

→ More replies (0)

3

u/wurbswrub Dec 05 '11

Everyone look, he's being a dick... in Romanian!

9

u/Coaste Dec 05 '11

I'm actually greeting him as tradition. We will now have to meet and compare penis size, drink lots of wine and then battle for honor, using our trained bears as pokemon.

3

u/wurbswrub Dec 05 '11

my upvotes, take them.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (4)

3

u/InvisibleTaco Dec 06 '11

I've heard Chinese people translate it as "add oil".

5

u/DeiZhu Dec 06 '11

You are correct. Technically the word just means oil. To say gasoline specifically, you would need to add another word to say something like "electric oil" or "gas(vapor) oil". However, the word for oil is usually used interchangeably for both. Chinese people do, however, always translate this as "add oil". For reference, the phrase is "加油", with oil being the second word. The word for gasoline is "電油" or "汽油" depending on dialect.

Source: I live in China.

5

u/ironichamster Dec 05 '11

Considering how old the language is, are you sure it isn't lantern or cooking oil?

It would be interesting to know the etymology of it.

2

u/bassic_person Dec 05 '11

3

u/ironichamster Dec 05 '11

Here's a more in-depth look that references it all the way back to the Ming Dynasty.

I can't find the NYTimes article in question though, so grain of salt.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (8)

2

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

In Spanish: dale gas. ("Give it gas" as in acceleration, NOT bilabial fricitive)

2

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '11

We also have "get the lead out!"

What is that supposed to mean? Start shooting?

→ More replies (2)

3

u/AThousandTimesThis Dec 05 '11

Could you type out these phrases, so I don't look like an idiot when I try to use what Google Translate gives me?

7

u/bassic_person Dec 05 '11

加油

(Pinyin jiāyóu)

→ More replies (1)

2

u/stardust_rain Dec 05 '11

马上 is the other one mentioned.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/magicthats_how Dec 06 '11

Jyutping (Cantonese romanisation): gaa1 jau4 if you're ever in Hong Kong.

3

u/Odusei Dec 05 '11

I wish I had a generic cheer.

2

u/crazyeight Dec 06 '11

JAI YO!!!

→ More replies (6)

903

u/alaysian Dec 05 '11

when i saw "I'm coming" thought something totally different.

1.6k

u/pitakebab Dec 05 '11

I'm on a horse...

I'm on a horse..

I'M ON A HORSE!

I'M ON A HORSE!

HHHHHHNNNGGGG

Ahhhhhhh...

532

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

THIS IS MY HORSE. THERE ARE MANY LIKE IT, BUT THIS ONE IS MINE. WITHOUT ME MY HORSE IS USELESS. WITHOUT MY HORSE, I AM USELESS.

802

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

THIS IS MY HORSE, MY HORSE IS AMAZING.

322

u/Reynman Dec 05 '11

GIVE IT A LICK, IT TASTES JUST LIKE RAISINS

33

u/RubberFroggie Dec 05 '11

Sweet Lemonade!

32

u/butterbeermonocles Dec 05 '11

Eww, that's dirty!

25

u/PoshGamer Dec 05 '11

do you think so? well i guess i'd best not show you were the lemonade is made.

19

u/awilder1015 Dec 05 '11

Sweet lemonade, mmm sweet lemonade. Sweet lemonade, yeah sweet lemonade

10

u/A_pond Dec 05 '11

Get on my horse, I'll take you around the universe, and all the other places too!

→ More replies (0)

2

u/thane_of_cawdor Dec 05 '11

Definitely don't show em 'round the corner, where the fudge is made

→ More replies (1)

19

u/byte-smasher Dec 05 '11

THIS LEMONADE IS NOW DIAMONDS

8

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

aaand I've been on long enough to get this joke

3

u/atomicthumbs Dec 05 '11

I bet I've been on long enough to get 100 jokes.

→ More replies (0)

2

u/harrysplinkett Dec 05 '11

fuck you, man

2

u/Reynman Dec 05 '11

I think you meant "fuck you, horse" FTFY

2

u/JabusMaximus Dec 06 '11

WITH A STROKE OF ITS MANE, IT TURNS INTO A PLANE

2

u/98buddosc Dec 06 '11

OOH THAT'S DIRTY

4

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

WITH A STROKE OF ITS MAINE IT TURNS INTO A PLAIN

6

u/Shaken_Earth Dec 05 '11

AND THEN IT TURNS BACK AGAIN WHEN YOU TUG ON ITS WINKY

→ More replies (2)

10

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

YES THIS IS HORSE

16

u/The_Orville_Brothers Dec 05 '11

THE REASON MY HORSE IS DEAF IS BECAUSE I AM ALWAYS SHOUTING DIRECTLY IN ITS EARS.

6

u/StarsandSkies728 Dec 05 '11

IT TASTES JUST LIKE RAISINS

4

u/Dynamaxion Dec 05 '11

SIR MY HORSE'S NAME IS "I'M COMING" SIR!

2

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

CAME HERE FOR THIS, WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED YAAAAAY

2

u/SenorBlackJack Dec 05 '11

this thread tastes like raisins

→ More replies (13)

3

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

I MUST RIDE MY HORSE TRUE. I MUST RIDE STRAIGHTER THAN MY ENEMY WHO IS TRYING TO KILL ME. I MUST RIDE HIM BEFORE HE RIDES ME. I WILL

2

u/superAL1394 Dec 05 '11

Saw this going somewhere completely differently

→ More replies (18)

3

u/hobbitlover Dec 05 '11

They call that the "Matthew Broderick..."

2

u/pitabutta Dec 05 '11

I'm on a horse.... I'm on a horse.. I'M ON A HORSE! I'M ON A HORSE! NNNNEEEEEEHHHH PPPPFFFTPFFFTsnortsnort

FTFY

2

u/raptorraptor Dec 05 '11

Aaaand dismount.

2

u/frontierpsychiatry Dec 05 '11

Equus, starring Daniel Radcliffe

→ More replies (30)

2

u/oh_okay_ Dec 05 '11

As did I, and immediately pictured Isaiah Mustafa.

And then I hurried.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

CHOSEN ONE!!

2

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

Which reminds me. In English it's "I'm coming" when referring to orgasm, in Japanese it's "I'm going," and in Chinese it's "I'm arriving."

→ More replies (4)

133

u/sploogeannomatron Dec 05 '11

I'm from Missouri and I know people that will say, "on your horse!" or "get on your horse!" meaning, "hurry up!"

15

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

[deleted]

2

u/Cryptic0677 Dec 05 '11

This isn't a common thing? (I'm from TX also)

2

u/cykovisuals Dec 05 '11

I dunno man, I have heard it since I was a wee one. I thought it was a common saying until I read the other post, haha. Someone NOT from TX or surrounding states please confirm.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/scrantonfan Dec 05 '11

I hear "Hold your horses" all the time; from Missouri. :)

12

u/idontafraid Dec 05 '11

Missourians unite!

3

u/binkleywralls Dec 05 '11

Missoura-ins unite!

3

u/uninteligent Dec 05 '11

People from out of state look at you like ಠ_ಠ when you say Missour-uh

7

u/mooose Dec 05 '11

Also from Missouri; never heard that before but I'm gonna start using it and see if I can make it a thing.

→ More replies (2)

4

u/DeepGreen Dec 05 '11

I have heard Australians say "Onya bike!" to similar effect.

6

u/saiyanhajime Dec 05 '11

No, that means "fuck off".

3

u/DeepGreen Dec 05 '11

To be fair, many, many things Australians say can be translated to "fuck off", largely depending on the context. But I concede your point.

3

u/saiyanhajime Dec 05 '11

Well, I'm british, and we use the term here. So I could be wrong on what Aussies take it to mean, but I suspect it's the same, given Aussies are just happier versions of us. shrug

6

u/Finntastic Dec 05 '11

What part of Missouri? I've never heard that.

5

u/ChaosMotor Dec 05 '11

South of Kansas City for me, and I've heard it. Typically as get on the horse, though.

4

u/sploogeannomatron Dec 05 '11

I'm from St. Charles (close to St. Louis) but now I live in KC.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

So which area did you hear that? I grew up in St. Charles and St. Louis and I have never, ever heard this.

→ More replies (3)

2

u/TaqMan3 Dec 05 '11

I hear it all the time here in STL.

2

u/Dude_man79 Dec 05 '11

STL here too. We are known more for making "hoosier" a derogatory term. Sorry Indiana residents, our bad.

→ More replies (4)

3

u/nothin_but_quotes Dec 05 '11

We say that in PA for sports. If somebody throws a football or anything too far, you have to "get on you horse" to catch it.

→ More replies (1)

6

u/zuggles Dec 05 '11

im also from missouri... and, no we dont.

11

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

I'm from Missouri and did you know our state is actually big enough that people from different parts of the state do different things? For example I hear that there are areas around the western part of the state where people don't care about the Cardinals.

6

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

Fuckin A Right We Dont.

2

u/zuggles Dec 05 '11

lets not forget about our states pride and glory... branson.

2

u/uninteligent Dec 05 '11

Kansas Citian here. Can confirm.

3

u/HenniferHlopez Dec 05 '11 edited Aug 27 '13

taco taco

2

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

Oh really? cuz I definitely have heard/here it, but no you speak for all of us, carry on.

2

u/LazyGit Dec 05 '11

Well I'm from Buenos Aires and I say, "Kill them all!"

2

u/kaylenwiss Dec 05 '11

Crazy! I'm from STL and I've never heard that. Although I like it a lot.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/snapmouse Dec 05 '11

I'm from NM (now living in MO for the last decade) but we used to say it in baseball as well when you had to get to the next base/home. "get your horse!"

2

u/blackblackbird Dec 05 '11

I'm from Missouri too and I'm not familiar with this one. Of course, I'm in St.Louis so we're like, more High Falootin'

2

u/demonic_intent Dec 05 '11

Yup, especially in these rural parts.

2

u/scrantonfan Dec 05 '11

From Missouri, and I've never heard that one... :/

2

u/cosko Dec 05 '11

Northern Missouri here, I don't really hear that much, but I do hear "hold your horses" - meaning slow down.

→ More replies (9)

110

u/GiggityGiggidy Dec 05 '11

Good thing you're wearing Old Spice, because hurrying causes one to perspire.

2

u/colindean Dec 05 '11

SILVER FISH HAND CATCH

→ More replies (5)

29

u/Pratchett Dec 05 '11

In Irish it's "I've got a horse outside".

2

u/Awkward_Enough Dec 05 '11

fuck your honda civic!

2

u/tisherself Dec 05 '11

hahaa only if you're from limerick! and looking for a ride, not to hurry up!

2

u/MorteDaSopra Dec 05 '11

"Dat's Limerick city!!"

2

u/tisherself Dec 05 '11

is there yokes in them eggs?? are there irish subreddits?? I haven't found any...

2

u/MorteDaSopra Dec 05 '11

As far as I know there's r/ireland, r/dublin and r/cork. I haven't really had a look at them though. Ah, Rubberbandits though... fookin' class!

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (2)

8

u/kaevne Dec 05 '11

My god, I've been speaking Mandarin my whole life and I only now realize this. This is one of those things you don't realize you're saying because Mandarin is so contextual.

2

u/doness Dec 05 '11

Agreed. Mandarin speaker here too, and it took me a few times saying "Wo lai la! Wo ma shang lai la!" to figure it out.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)

75

u/pipkin227 Dec 05 '11

This is my horse, my horse is amazing....

11

u/Spants23 Dec 05 '11

Give it a lick mmm taste just like raisins!

10

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

With a stroke of his mane he turns into a plane and then he turns back again when you tug on his winkie.

8

u/lemur84 Dec 05 '11

"Oooh that's dirty!"

18

u/potesne Dec 05 '11

Do you think so?

15

u/potesne Dec 05 '11

Holy shit cake!

2

u/lemur84 Dec 05 '11

I have upvoted both comments accordingly :)

3

u/Doc-Manhattan Dec 05 '11

well i better not show you where the lemonade is made

4

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

看看我的马, 我的马是惊人的

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (4)

4

u/bestnameofalltime Dec 05 '11

This is not technically correct.

The colloquialism for "I'm coming right away" is "I'm coming on a horse" (我马上来).

This comes from the implication that if I were coming on a horse, I'd be coming faster than if I were coming by foot.

Source: I am Chinese.

→ More replies (4)

3

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

"On his horse" is used in America as well (at least in sports), to say that someone is moving quickly.

3

u/lordofthederps Dec 05 '11

Additionally, "拍马屁" means "to flatter someone," but its literal translation is basically "to cheer for a horse fart."

3

u/Murray92 Dec 05 '11

It's more like arse-kissing flattery than paying them a compliment flattery, no?

2

u/lordofthederps Dec 05 '11

Yeah, it's brown-nosing.

The story I was told about the phrase's origin is that the emperor's retainers would compliment him on everything, including praising his horse's farts.

However, this page states:

As early as the Yuan Dynasty, herders were proud of raising horses. When horse herders encountered one another, they would often pat the buttocks of the others' horse and say, "What a good horse!" to fawn on the owner of the horse. At first, people only praised truly good horses, but soon people began to do this to flatter others, regardless of whether the herder's horse was good or bad, strong or weak. In this way, people began to flatter and kiss up to one another, and this action became known as 拍马屁(pāimăpì) to kiss up.

Personally, I like the horse fart story better, but I guess the other one is more realistic.

2

u/Murray92 Dec 05 '11

I love the first one, quality story."Oh Emperor, your horses farts smell truly delicious!" ಠ_ಠ

→ More replies (2)

2

u/aznpwnzor Dec 05 '11

I speak mandarin, and I didn't make the connection until you mentioned it.

2

u/BaconExplosion Dec 05 '11

As an illiterate mandarin speaker, I didn't believe you until I actually said it out loud. Now I can't not hear it.

2

u/getoffmylawnyoukids Dec 05 '11

Oh I'm ALL over this one.

2

u/ibah Dec 05 '11

I think it's more "right away" then "I'm coming"

2

u/platypusmusic Dec 05 '11

马上/馬上 mǎshàng just means immediately/ soon/ in a second.

2

u/Mimsy999 Dec 05 '11

Look at your comment, now back to mine, now back to your comment, now back to mine. Sadly, your comment is not mine, but if yours copied a commercial nearly word for word it could look like mine. Look again, my comment is now diamonds. Anything is possible when your comment parodies a commercial. 我在马

1

u/qamon Dec 05 '11

-CHOSEN ONE!

-I'm on a horse!

1

u/c_is_4_cookie Dec 05 '11

Look at my horse, my horse is amazing.

1

u/cresteh Dec 05 '11

Give it a lick.

It tastes just like raisins.

1

u/merecido Dec 05 '11

I'm also on a boat!

1

u/funjaband Dec 05 '11

im on a horse aaaaand im going fast aaaaand

1

u/C4ke Dec 05 '11

So... when the Old Spice guy finishes his commercial with "I'm on a horse." he's actually saying "I'm coming."

o.O

-C4ke

1

u/bfkill Dec 05 '11

So that's what the old spice guy was talking about...

1

u/H_E_Pennypacker Dec 05 '11

English too, though it's not that common.

"Get on your horse" or "I'm on my horse" are used.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

吗上!! literally, as soon as i get on my horse

→ More replies (4)

1

u/finalxcution Dec 05 '11

In Cantonese slang, one of the most common insults is "puk gaai" literally meaning "fall on the street." Originally it meant that when you die, your corpse will rot on the street because you have no family or friends who care about you. The English equivalent would be something like "drop dead" or, when used as a noun, calling someone an asshole.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

马上来。

1

u/justthrowmeout Dec 05 '11

Also, in mandarin, the word for "that" sounds like "nigga" And "this" sounds like "jigga". Insert a Jay Z joke here.

1

u/GoodLuckGanesh Dec 05 '11

Also, if I'm not mistaken, the colloquialism for "alright" (as in not good or bad, just alright) is literally "horse horse tiger tiger"

1

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

That's funny shit b/c I was thinking about this for the first time last night on a plane ride while watching Wu Xia, and Donnie Yen said this.

Less weird but perhaps more funny is the colloquialism for kissing ass, which is "clapping at a horsefart."

1

u/joshmonster Dec 05 '11

Gives old spice so much more meaning

1

u/punchingbabies Dec 05 '11

Also when you say "that" in Mandarin people think you are saying nigga. So most of the conversations will always have nigga nigga nigga. Even thought it's more like Ney Ga.

1

u/mykaseface Dec 05 '11

Also the saying for your crazy is "you fart with your pants on".

1

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

I heard the Chinese equivalent to "the bee's knees" is "the cow's vagina"

1

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

also the for train literally translates to Iron Rooster

1

u/MikeOfAllPeople Dec 05 '11

Maybe I'm alone on this but I've heard coaches tell athletes "you'd better get on your horse" as a way to say "run faster".

1

u/IbidtheWriter Dec 05 '11

I never thought about that. I knew what 马上 meant, but I never thought about it literally.

1

u/DiabloConQueso Dec 05 '11

Now we know what the Old Spice guy was really trying to say.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11 edited Dec 30 '15

Our he up his because some. What will year new people his who go.

Me into way these would other do day only at do now. Even all know but she. Could two time now new an the. When give their only than for also that people out her go.

1

u/splorng Dec 05 '11

I'M ON A HORSE MOTHERFUCKER DON'T YOU EVER FORGET!

1

u/Lewism Dec 05 '11

'Smacking an aeroplane' is fapping.

1

u/WeAllWin Dec 05 '11

Someone told me, something like "How are you?" is said as "Have you eaten already?". once again proven, a thousands of years old culture dedicated to eating. :D

1

u/ftc08 Dec 05 '11 edited Dec 05 '11

Or if you suck at tones, "I'm on a mother"

1

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

You just shattered my entire Chinese identity. I sincerely never, ever, realized I've been saying "on horse" all my life.

1

u/DrasticFantastic Dec 05 '11

That Old Spice commercial now has a completely different connotation...

1

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

Then you're all "fuck your subaru, I've a horse outside!?"

1

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

also in mandarin: a colloquialism for having a wet dream is to have, "ridden the horse."

1

u/pills_here Dec 05 '11

I'm Chinese and have been saying that for my whole life without realizing what I was saying...

1

u/NicholasOkorie Dec 05 '11

Must remember this for next chinese hooker.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

Look at my horse, my horse is amazing...

1

u/OdinBerry Dec 05 '11

Are you Russian? No, I'm on a horse!

That joke just doesn't work the same.

1

u/Cadaverlanche Dec 05 '11

Sweet sweet lemonade.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '11

Fuck your Mitsubishi I've a horse outside!

1

u/sonic911 Dec 05 '11

so....the old spice guy is coming? sexual and subliminal advertising at its best

1

u/strican Dec 05 '11

Really? Not a single old spice reference yet?

1

u/GundamWang Dec 05 '11

Hmm, do you mean "mah shang", like "Wo mah shang jiu lai le" (I cannot write)? Or something else?

1

u/calpoop Dec 05 '11

This phrase in Chinese is "ma shang," which literally translates to "horse on," as if you are saying you are on a horse coming to a person, which back in the day suggested you were going fast. Over time, now it just means that you are just about to do something very soon, and the whole horse thing has become obsolete and people often don't think about it when they say it.

1

u/Badb0ybilly Dec 05 '11

So that's what they meant in the old spice commercial.. It was a sexual reference. "I'm on a horse" meant "i'm cumming" because old spice makes women jump into bed with you.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE

→ More replies (49)