mean and evil, and pointy-nosed knights who personify goodness.
At a mass prayer in West Java during parliamentary elections in 2004, Indonesian Muslim preachers asked God to curse the anfun kabir, Arabic for si hidung besar (big nose)—those who will lead Indonesians astray. The preachers appeared to refer to abstract evil, rather than an individual or group.
Mulut (Mouth)
A sweet mouth breaks bones.
Gentle persuasion does more to sway people than hammering them over the head with a tirade. So turn on the charm. Mulut manis (sweet mouth) isn’t always positive. It can imply empty promises:
Mulut manis jangan percaya, lepas dari tangan jangan diharap. “Don’t believe in sweet mouth. Don’t hope once you let go of hands.”
Clasp your sweetheart’s hands, or twist an adversary’s arm, and you might get a promise. But once you turn your back or part company—let go of hands—all bets are off.
“Cheap in mouth, expensive on the scales” (Murah di mulut, mahal di timbangan) refers to someone who makes promises easily but doesn’t carry them out.
“Different in mouth, different in the heart” denotes dishonesty. Lain di mulut, lain di hati.
Mulut bocor (leaking mouth) or mulut ember (bucket mouth) means you can’t keep a secret. Mulut gatal (itchy mouth) is a chatterbox. Jadi buah bibir (become lip-fruit) is to become a subject of gossip or conversation.
Lidah (Tongue)
“Tongue fighting, or tongue kung fu.” = Argue.
Silat is a term for the hundreds of Indonesian martial arts. Many are associated with mystical powers and heavily influenced by Chinese, Indian and Persian fighting styles. Silat schools across Indonesia teach students how to fight with sticks, knives, swords and rope. Some practitioners emulate the tiger, crouching as they poise to strike. Fighters ensure an opponent is down for good with repeated blows that seem excessive to an unschooled observer.
The Merpati Putih (White Dove) school of martial arts relies heavily on tenaga dalam (inner energy). Students at the school, some in their early teens, punch dozens of blocks of ice, wood and concrete until their bruised knuckles turn crimson. The goal is to shatter a target with one blow, a helpful skill in hand-to-hand combat. Silat alleviated one student’s asthma, possibly by building strength in her lungs.
Indonesian silat were once so secretive that no foreigners were allowed to learn them. Today, they are commercial enterprises. Traditionalists complain about efforts to turn silat into a competitive sport.
“Tongue with no bones” = Silvery tongue.
Someone who promises easily but doesn’t follow through. The tongue bends or changes easily because it is boneless.
Panjang lidah (long tongue) is a gossipmonger.
“Become a tongue extension” = Become a mouthpiece, or spokesman.
The term can be derogatory because it implies the “tongue extension” is a lackey. But it was also used to praise President Sukarno, a hero of the independence movement during Dutch rule, as a voice for all Indonesians:
“Brother Karno is the spokesman/tongue extension of the people.”
Bung Karno adalah penyambung lidah masyarakat.
“Show teeth” = A show of force. Prove one’s worth. Get one’s back up.
Dogs, cats and tigers bare their fangs to show ferocity. The phrase implies guts and verve. A junior basketball player gets his chance to show teeth after spending most of his team’s games on the bench.
“Only have teeth and tongue left” (tinggal gigi dengan lidah saja) is to have nothing left. Not even the shirt on your back.
“Sometimes teeth bite the tongue” (gigi dengan lidah ada kala bergigit juga) is an old-fashioned way of saying allies, spouses or relatives sometimes argue.
“To swallow one’s spit” = Take back what you say or preach. Eat humble pie.
“What a hypocrite! He has to lick his own spit. How dare he say wives have to remain loyal to their husband, while he himself commits adultery!”
Dasar munafik! Dia harus menelan ludah sendiri. Beraninya dia berkhotbah istri harus setia dengan suami tapi sendirinya menyeleweng!
Menelan ludah also describes the helplessness of someone who pines for something unattainable, but can only stand and gulp.
A person whose boss rebukes him can’t do much but swallow saliva.
Menjilat air liur is to lick saliva. It means to praise something that was previously despised. Opportunists do this a lot.
Toothpaste.
Odol, a German brand of toothpaste, was once so popular in Indonesia that it became a generic name for toothpaste, just as the brand name Xerox is synonymous with photocopy. Odol is no longer available in Indonesia.
In the old days, there were two kinds of dentifrice: Odol and Gibbs of Britain. The latter took the form of a cake that had to be scraped onto a toothbrush. Odol succeeded because it was hygienic and easier to use.
The literal term for toothpaste is pasta gigi. It’s rarely used in conversation, but it shows up in advertisements and written Indonesian.
Other brands that became generic names for products in Indonesia include Honda (motorcycle), Softex (sanitary napkins), and Aqua (bottled mineral water).
Old Indonesian literature describes a beautiful woman in the following ways:
Bibirnya seperti buah delima,
Her lips are like pomegranates,
Rambutnya seperti mayang mengurai,
Her hair is like the tips of a palm
