ยักษ์ใหญ่ไล่ยักษ์เล็ก (Yák yài lâi yák lék)
Meaning: A tonal 'yak / yai / lai / lek' drill that hops across Thai tones in four short beats.
Language: Thai
Literally: The big giant chases the small giant.
Category: Tricky
Origin: A classic Thai tongue twister.
More tongue twisters — Tricky
- Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter. — A 'b / t / tt' plosive drill that bounces between Betty, butter, and bitter.
- Бабин біб розцвів у дощ, буде бабі біб у борщ. (Babyn bib roztsviv u doshch, bude babi bib u borshch.) — A bilabial 'b / bib / bor' drill that ends in a very Slavic splash of borscht.
- She sells seashells by the seashore. — The definitive 's' versus 'sh' alternation — the tongue has to switch place of articulati…
- Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. — A relentless 'p' plosive drill; a peck is an old dry measure of about nine litres.
- Ехал Грека через реку, видит Грека — в реке рак. (Yekhal Greka cherez reku, vidit Greka — v reke rak.) — A rolling 'r/k' drill where Greka, reku and rak keep trading the same two consonants.
- От топота копыт пыль по полю летит. (Ot topota kopyt pyl po polyu letit.) — A 'p/t' hammering that imitates the hoofbeats it describes.
From our compliments & insults
- Золотые руки (Zolotye ruki) — You're wonderfully skilled with your hands — a true master at making and fixing things.
- Χρυσό μου (Chrysó mou) — My darling — a tender term of endearment.
- Sei un fenomeno — You're amazing — exceptionally good at what you do.