a-tok-á

simpl. and trad.
阿斲仔

Min Nan

Alternative forms

• 阿桌仔
• 阿督仔

Pronunciation

• IPA: [ a˧˧tɔk˥˥a˥˧ ]

Etymology

• c. 370 to 301 BCE:, Zhuangzi, zh:s:莊子/徐无鬼

  (trad.) 莊子送葬，過惠子之墓，顧謂從者曰：「郢人堊慢其鼻端若蠅翼，使匠人斲之。匠石運斤成風，聽而斲之，盡堊而鼻不傷，郢人立不失容。宋元君聞之，召匠石曰：『嘗試為寡人為之。』匠石曰：『臣則嘗能斲之。雖然，臣之質死久矣。』自夫子之死也，吾無以為質矣，吾無與言之矣。」

  (simp.) 庄子送葬，过惠子之墓，顾谓从者曰：「郢人垩慢其鼻端若蝇翼，使匠人斲之。匠石运斤成风，听而斲之，尽垩而鼻不伤，郢人立不失容。宋元君闻之，召匠石曰：『尝试为寡人为之。』匠石曰：『臣则尝能斲之。虽然，臣之质死久矣。』自夫子之死也，吾无以为质矣，吾无与言之矣。」

  Zhuangzi once attended a funeral. As he passed by the grave of Huizi, he turned to his attendants and said, "There was once a man from Ying, and on the tip of his nose was some chalk, no thicker than a fly's wing. He asked a stone-mason to slice off the chalk. The stone-mason wielded his axe like the wind, and sliced off the chalk as the man obediently stood there. The chalk was completely removed without injury to the man's nose. The man from Ying just stood there, unflinching. When Prince Yuan of Song heard about this, he summoned the stone-mason and said, 'Try doing it for me.' The stone-mason said, 'I used to be able to slice (off chalk from a person's nose). However, the person (who had it in his) nature (to stand unflinching before my sharp axe) has long since perished.' Now that (Huizi) is dead, I (also) no longer have anyone that I consider to have (that kind of) character. I no longer have anyone (that is my equal) that I can talk to. (wiktionary translation)

• The above story gave birth to the term 斲鼻 (tok-phīⁿ), which describes a person with a hooked nose. Westerners were originally noted for their unusual noses, and therefore were called 斲鼻仔 (tok-phīⁿ-á or hook nose). This term was later replaced by the more informal sounding a-tok-á.

Noun

a-tok-á (POJ, traditional and simplified 阿斲仔)

1. (slang) a westerner; a Caucasian person of European or American descent; a round eyes
   • ?:, Cao Lihua ed., 笑詼一則----抑m7鎖咧 (Taiwanese jokes ahm so leh)

     (trad.) 有一 e5歐巴桑去美國 chit4-tho5，欲去便所 e5時，因為 m7捌字，煞行入去查甫 e0彼間，無外久，一 e5阿督仔行入去，隨擱闖出來，一直喝講：「I am sorry ， I am sorry。」尾 a0，彼 e5阿婆仔行出來氣 chua3chua3講：「夭壽哦！一 e5阿督仔真無禮貌，行入來人 e5便所，也擱怪人門「抑 m7鎖咧！」

     (simp.) 有一 e5欧巴桑去美国 chit4-tho5，欲去便所 e5时，因为 m7捌字，煞行入去查甫 e0彼间，无外久，一 e5阿督仔行入去，随搁闯出来，一直喝讲：「I am sorry ， I am sorry。」 尾 a0，彼 e5阿婆仔行出来气 chua3chua3讲：「夭寿哦！ 一 e5阿督仔真无礼貌，行入来人 e5便所，也搁怪人门「抑 m7锁咧！」

     ū chi̍t-ê o·-bá-sáng khì bí-kok chhit-thô, beh khì piān-só· ê sî, in-ūi m̄ bat-jī, soà kiâⁿ ji̍p-khì cha-po· ê hit keng, bô-goā-kú, chi̍t-ê a-tok-á kiâⁿ ji̍p-khì, sûi koh chhòan chhut-lâi, it-ti̍t hoah kóng, "I am sorry, I am sorry." bóe-á, hit-ê a-pô-á kiâⁿ chhut-lâi khì-choà-choà kóng, "iáu-siū-á! chi̍t-ê a-tok-á chin bô lé-māu, kiâⁿ ji̍p-lâi lâng ê piān-só·, iáu-koh koài lâng mn̂g, "a̍h m̄ só leh!"

     There was an old granny who went to America on vacation. When it came time for her to go to the restroom, she couldn't read the words on the door, so she ended up going into the men's room. Before long, a round eyes walked in, then quickly rushed out. As he did so, he kept yelling, "I am sorry, I am sorry." Finally, the old lady came out, angrily saying, "Screw him! These round eyes are very rude; barging into my bathroom; blaming me, saying the door 'wasn't yet locked!' ("it isn't locked" is "ahm so leh" which sounds like "I am sorry")"

Usage notes

• Usually used in reference to Americans. Like most such ethnic terms, the word is either insulting or neutral depending on who says it, and in what context.