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Archiver > OLD-WORDS > 1999-04 > 0925311763


From: "Robert Farmer" <>
Subject: Re: Di di mau.
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 08:02:43 -0700


Hi Folks, I can help on this one since I'm a retired Marine and a Vietnam
veteran. I also went to the Vietnamese language school for one year in
Monterey, California. The word di means to go, get, or went, as they do not
conjugate verbs in the Vietnamese language. To add the second di means an
imperative like, go! or get! Mau means fast or hurry. So, the expression,
"di di Mau", really means, "get out of here". There is no profanity in this
expression. Most Americans learned this phrase, as well as French phrases,
like "beau coup" meaning a lot, big, but most of the Americans thought it
was a Vietnamese word. The Vietnamese understood it because the French had
used it. Some other interesting words used were Japanese words, like
"honcho" meaning boss or chief. Also, "mamasan and papasan". Papasan meant
older man and was a combination of English pa pa and san, meaning Mr. or
Mrs. in Japanese. Mamasan was a GI slang word meaning women, lady, usually
an older women. These words were used a lot. Another Japanese word used was
"taksan" meaning a lot, or big. The Vietnamese thought they were American
words and the Americans thought they were Vietnamese words. These Japanese
words were brought to Vietnam by the first troops to arrive in Vietnam in
1965 who came from Japan and Okinawa. Most of the Marine NCO's had spent
literally years in Japan during their careers. Hope this helps. Robert in
Oceanside.

-----Original Message-----
From: <>
To: <>
Date: Tuesday, April 27, 1999 9:04 PM
Subject: Re: Cool Word: the whole nine yards

>>
>>> >The most popular theory refers to World War II war planes, which
carried
>>> machine
>>> >gun ammunition belts 27 feet (nine yards) long. To discharge the whole
>>> nine
>>> >yards was to fully empty the belt.
>>> >
>
>This sounds reasonable to me. And there were probably enough people around
>who knew what it meant back them to keep the saying going.
>
>When my husband came back from VietNam he brought with him a few favorite
>sayings, one of which sounded like "didimou", or 'get the ----out of
there".
>
>I know there were others, but that's the one that stands out in my mind.
>
>

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