รู้งูงูปลาปลา

snake, snake, fish, fish

งูๆปลาๆ
รู้
rúu งู
nguu งู
nguu ปลา
bplaa ปลา
bplaa

Vocabulary

rúu = know

nguu = a snake

nguu = a snake

bplaa = a fish

bplaa = a fish

Literal Meaning

Know snake, snake, fish, fish.

English Proverb

snake, snake, fish, fish

Explanation

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If you are a fisherman, one of the most basic bits of knowledge that you need is to be able to tell the difference between a harmless, edible eel and a lethal snake. So if someone knows just snake, snake, fish, fish they know very little, too little to be really useful. (Even if they may think that they are experts) There is no real equivalent in English. Though examples may be an English person speaking Thai, but attempting to use English idiom and structures with Thai words and not knowing enough Thai to realise that they make no sense, or vice versa “Him same, same but different” could be termed speaking snake, snake, fish, fish or speaking snakes and fishes

Example

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สมชายพูดได้หลายภาษา แต่ได้แบบงูๆปลาๆนะ

sŏmchaai pûut dâai lăai paa-săa dtàe dâai bàep ngoo ngoo bplaa bplaa ná

Somchai can speak many languages but he is not master in any particular one. It is like a jack of all trades, master of none.