i enjoyed this entry on perjoratives for foreigners. it seems strange, given vietnam's history, there are no perjoratives that stand out for foreigners. you're absolutely right about ngư�i nư�c ngoà i being completely unloaded. there are of course perjoratives for vietnamese people of different affiliations. (many falling in the practice of nói lái, which you cover in another entry).
r. streitmatter-tran | Homepage | 05.05.05 - 5:06 am | #

Fascinating article. Thanks. Hope things are going okay for you.
DrJon | Homepage | 05.05.05 - 9:08 am | #

Incidentally:
http://andrewbartlettonline.blog...nd- present.html
Democrat Senator Andrew Bartlett on the visit to Australia of the Vietnamese Prime Minister.
drjon | Homepage | 05.05.05 - 7:30 pm | #

For info: When I was in Vietnam in 1970, the term for the locals was 'Nog' or Noggies. We were told to stop it and from that order came the term 'Nigels. It was mostly used when referring to the VC or NVA
Kev | Homepage | 05.05.05 - 10:40 pm | #

Jon: things are going well. I hope the same is true.

I might something about the good Senator's post. It's a good one. He says things that needed to be said.

Ken: I learnt about "Nigel" from "NASHO" - a Michael Frazer novel about Australians in VN. (I picked it up in a second-hand bookstore when I was in Melbourne a month back.) I wasn't so aware of "Nogs"; thanks for setting me straight.

Cheers
Down and Out in Sài Gòn | Homepage | 05.06.05 - 2:13 am | #

Sorry... that should be "Kev" - not "Ken". (A link will be added to your blog in recompense.)
Down and Out in Sài Gòn | Homepage | 05.06.05 - 2:15 am | #

I have realy enjoyed reading your blog! I am 33, have 6 moths to go on a Social Work degree in Sydney and have about 2 months worth of tieng viet under my belt. I visited Vietnam last year and found it an amazing place. Do you know of any programs that are running that employ Australian Social Workers? I have been inspired to go to the next step after reading your entries. I have studied Vietnam history for many years and after my recent visit, I now have some friends there. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers from Oz!
Andrew | 06.11.05 - 9:06 am | #

you know the XTC song always sounded oppressive, but now even more so.

a girl i met in HCMC told me of bacon (thit ba roi) as a term for viet kieu. no idea if there is a derogatory term for white ghosts, but considering their 100+ year presence on VN soil, it would make sense. linguistically, there's precedence i think in every culture, no?
hikaru | Homepage | 03.09.06 - 7:47 pm | #

I realise this was written three years back, but I think the Vietnamese do have a semi-perjorative for foreigners, or at least for Westerners - "Tây!".

It's become pretty common now. And it certainly doesn't have the same polite connotations as "người nước ngoài".
Steve Edwards | Homepage | 05.30.08 - 5:40 am | #