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タコ

English translation: dumb, stupid, fool, etc

16:47 Sep 22, 2008
Japanese to English translations [PRO]
Slang
Japanese term or phrase: タコ
I don't have a sentence for context I'm afraid. The only context I can give is that someone has done something fairly silly and this is some kind of insult. I guess that it can be translated into some sort of generic insult but I wanted to know if there was a particular nuance which I could use? Thanks very much in advance!
Gemma Collinge
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:44
English translation:dumb, stupid, fool, etc
Explanation:
You are right "タコ” is translated into generic insult, but there is no such exact translation in this case. "タコ” sounds similar to dumb, stupid, fool, and etc when you cuss someone. "タコ”　usually means octopus that looks funny in a sense.
Selected response from:

Yuichi Saito
United States
Local time: 04:44
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
2 +5dumb, stupid, fool, etc
Yuichi Saito
3 +1bald head
Yuki Okada
1airhead
cinefil
Summary of reference entries provided
humbird

Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +5
dumb, stupid, fool, etc


Explanation:
You are right "タコ” is translated into generic insult, but there is no such exact translation in this case. "タコ” sounds similar to dumb, stupid, fool, and etc when you cuss someone. "タコ”　usually means octopus that looks funny in a sense.


    Reference: http://www.intercom.net/user/logan1/jap.htm
Yuichi Saito
United States
Local time: 04:44
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  toshism: bonehead, idiot, often used in comedies
30 mins
agree  Aogara: Bonehead or idiot sounds best suited. Ho-san, you should enter it as your answer. Dumb, stupid etc. are also fine.
48 mins
agree  KathyT: How about 'dork'? I've definitely heard both タコ and タコベ used in this way - perhaps it's regional?
6 hrs
agree  AniseK
9 hrs
agree  Troy Fowler: Yep. This is right. As Okada-san pointed out, it can also mean "baldy" (for a bald head), but using it to mean simply "dumb-ass" or "idiot" is much more common. Oh-yeah, タコ can also mean "callus" or a bump of hard skin from using that area too much.
9 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
bald head


Explanation:
What English expression you use is up to you, but it seems this originally means a bald head. As you see in the link, I also hear this word spoken by Huuten no tora-san.

There are apparently other intrepretations. Have fun searching on the Internet probably with keywords like タコ　悪口

http://okwave.jp/qa2914471.html



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Note added at 3 hrs (2008-09-22 20:27:01 GMT)
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In that case, your "translation' can't be bald head! I guess it is used towards a kid just as a genreal-purpose insult regardless of the word origin. Tako was hardly used around me when I was a kid - I guess everyone had lots of hair!

Yuki Okada
Canada
Local time: 04:44
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
Notes to answerer
Asker: I've seen it in reference to baldness before too. But this time, it's referring to a kid with a full head of hair. Thanks for replying!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  humbird: Yes, usually used as "Tako-bouzu", means a buddist priest whose head is shaved. Thus bold-headed person. Nonetheless, this is hardly a word of reverence.
3 hrs
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
airhead


Explanation:
I like this.
You can see good examples of use in the movie series 男はつらいよ　

cinefil
Japan
Local time: 20:44
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 4
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Reference comments


12 hrs
Reference

Reference information:
Here's very interesting site. Well, I've heard neither of such derivation nor such use. But this person clearly pointed out its Edo Era origin.

http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q131...
仰せのとおりあの海洋生物のタコらしいです。
以下参考ＵＲＬより抜粋
江戸時代の徳川将軍家の家臣団には階級があり、
将軍に謁見できる家柄の直参旗本は「御目見栄」、それがかなわぬ下級の御家人を「御目見栄以下」または「以下」と呼んでいたそうです。
そこで家臣の子供どうしで喧嘩になると、上級武士の子供は下級武士の子供に「やーい、以下！以下！」と悪口を言いたてたそうです。
その差別的言辞の倫理的評価はともかく、下級武士の子供は「イカ！」と言われたんだから「タコ！」と言い返すほかはない。それが悪口「タコ」の語源であるらしいです。

Ika (squid) vs Tako (octopus), hah!?
It sure interesting to know such ancient expression popped out in this ciber space age of (quite possibly) manga origin!

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Note added at 12 hrs (2008-09-23 05:41:16 GMT)
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If this answer stands, I would say タコ is surely derogatory and insulting, but not necessarily one of those 馬鹿、間抜け、とんま、うすら、あかんたれ、アホ、どあほ、いかれぽんちfamily (all in the variety of idiot, supido, blockhead type) .
This makes all answers given so far wrong.



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Note added at 12 hrs (2008-09-23 05:43:56 GMT)
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On the other hand, everything is possible in this Manga world we are living.

humbird
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese, Native in EnglishEnglish
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