a giant with fangs that jut from a protruding lower jaw, makes regular appearances in traditional puppet shows. A typical performance features a battle between a knight and giants led by Buto Cakil. The good knight slaughters Buto Cakil in a triumph of good over evil.
Mata tidur bantal terjaga
Eyes asleep, the pillow awakes = When the cat’s away, the mice will play.
The expression refers to a husband or wife who has an affair while the spouse is off guard. The saying was originally meant for a wife who cheated on her husband, but now it applies to both genders.
Hilang di mata, di hati jangan
Lost in the eyes, don’t lose in the heart.
Hopefully, absence makes the heart grow fonder. This expression warns against the dangers of out of sight, out of mind.
“Don't forget me, sweetheart,” singers croon.
Hilang di mata, di hati jangan, sayang.
The expression is old. A more up-to-date version is jauh di mata, dekat di hati (far from the eyes, close to the heart).
Hidung (Nose)
Potong hidung, rusak muka = Cut nose, ruin face.
Shame your family, and you shame yourself. The nose is similar to your family: one is in the center of your face, and the other is in the center of your life.
“Like having a child with big nose” (seperti beranak besar hidung) means you are conceited because you’re always flaunting what you have.
Many Indonesians worry that their noses are small and flat. Some mothers pinch their babies’ noses upwards so they don’t suffer the fate of kids deemed to have ugly, flat noses.
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Haji Djedje, a 60-year-old paranormal with blow-dried hair and a love of colorful shirts, turned the flat noses of his clients into Roman ones. Supposedly aided by special powers, he massaged a nose with the tips of his fingers over the course of several visits to his clinic. He also applied a nose clip padded with two rolls of cotton wool. Djdje claimed the result—a pointed, assertive nose—needed a touchup after two years. He also sold lotion that lightens the skin. His client base included many transvestites, who made him the guest of honor at a cross-dressing show in Jakarta in 2002.
West Javanese believed the nose indicated character, saying:
“You are how your nose is.”
Jalma mah kumaha irungna.
West Javanese traditional puppets are divided into broad-nosed giants who are 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)
Mulut manis mematahkan tulang = 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)
Bersilat lidah.
Tongue fighting, or tongue kung fu.
Argue.
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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.
Lidah tak bertulang (Minangkabau)
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.
Jadi penyambung lidah
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.
Menelan air ludah
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
