"Saying 'That's enough pounding rice cakes' leads to sudden awkwardness... Rekindling literacy controversy"

A Story About Feeling Embarrassed After Using an Idiom at a Gathering Sparks Debate
'Tteok-eul Chida' Also Used as a Sexual Expression
"Absurd" vs "Now a Vulgar Expression"

During a conversation at a gathering, the idiom 'tteok-eul chida' (literally 'to pound rice cake') came up, causing an awkward atmosphere and reigniting debates about literacy.

On the 28th, a post appeared on a social networking service (SNS) stating, "'If you have that much, you can pound tteok' originally means 'If you have that amount of grain, you can make tteok and still have some left.' Recently, someone said at a gathering, 'At this level, you can pound tteok,' and people became uncomfortably quiet." Mr. A recalled, "I thought that person might feel embarrassed, so I suggested, 'Let's all take a moment to wash our hair,' and only then did everyone burst out laughing."

An elementary school student is playing tteok-maechigi.
Photo by Asia Economy

Netizens expressed various opinions on Mr. A's story. Some commented, "Nowadays, there is hardly any situation where you literally pound tteok in a mortar in daily life. Especially with idiomatic expressions, it has become harder to grasp the figurative meaning hidden in such actions," "It's natural that it sounds vulgar as times change," and "People might not know the original meaning of the expression, so it's not good to lump everyone together and criticize them as ignorant," among other remarks.

However, many netizens disagreed. Responses included, "If it were me, I would have been confused and asked what the problem was. We should send the message that it's wrong for people to have strange thoughts, not be scared ourselves," "It's strange to have knowledge only of slang without common sense about the original meaning. Don't you know what homonyms are? Aren't they taught these days?" and "I realize how serious language pollution is. Speech is becoming more and more vulgar," among others.

Spread of Online Slang Pollutes Original Meaning of Idioms

The Basic Korean Dictionary of the National Institute of the Korean Language defines the expression "tteok-eul chida" as an idiom meaning "to be sufficient in quantity or degree."
[Image source=Basic Korean Dictionary, National Institute of the Korean Language]

The phrase "tteok-eul chida" is also used as a slang term referring to sexual intercourse. [Image source=Naver Korean Dictionary]

In fact, the Basic Korean Dictionary by the National Institute of the Korean Language defines the expression 'tteok-eul chida' as an idiom meaning 'to have enough quantity or degree.' For example, it can be applied in sentences like "This restaurant serves food so generously that even if you order three servings, a family of four can eat and still have enough," or "With this amount of money, you can pound tteok and still have some left."

However, the phrase 'tteok-eul chida' is also used as slang referring to sexual intercourse. This meaning has spread widely online, leading to misunderstandings related to literacy.

This expression has caused controversy before. In 2021, a post titled "'Tteok-eul chida' also means 'to have enough'" was posted on an online community board and attracted attention. The author at the time pointed out, "In everyday spoken language, it should rather not be used in a suggestive context because it is too vulgar."