Why Thai people say “Eat Mama” (But don’t mean their mom!)

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Transcript

00:00Anna, I'm so starving. Do you want to eat mama with me?

00:03What? Eat mama? You want to eat your mom?

00:06If you have Thai friends, you probably heard them say something like this,

00:09but they didn't mean to eat their mother.

00:12In Thailand, we often call things by the brand names.

00:16Take instant noodles, for example.

00:17There are many brands now, but mama is the one that everybody thinks of first.

00:21So, we just say mama when we want instant noodles.

00:25And it's not just food.

00:26Detergent powder, we call it fab after a brand that is not even around in Thailand anymore,

00:31but the name stuck.

00:32Same with other things, photocopiers are called sealock.

00:35Diapers are pampered.

00:37Sticky tape is scott tape.

00:39Cleaning pads are scott bite.

00:41Coffee creamer is coffee meat.

00:43And staplers, we call them MAC after popular brand.

00:46So, if someone say let's eat mama together, don't freak out.

00:50It's just how we talk.

00:51Hope you enjoy this little culture tip.