I have forgotten how hilarious your posts can be. It's been a long time...but I'm going to keep checking back regularly now. ;D
~Roxanne Modafferi
WOTDsctoo
· 9 months ago
Pssshhhhh, I'm looking into linguistics, but I'm sooo for the fox explanation. XDDD
Mrwindupbird
· 9 months ago
Oh my lordy lord, the James the cat part was funky fresh my friend.
Great stuff as always, muy interesante!
Leah
· 9 months ago
Can we just trade Koichi for Kublai Khan? (Nothing personal, Koichi.)
koichi
· 9 months ago
0_0
Egmont
· 9 months ago
Maybe the operators were just trying to prove that they weren't foxes because they were tired of being hung-up on by a fox-weary public.
koichi
· 9 months ago
haha - that was a big problem in the 1800s :) Darn Foxes
spacejay4000
· 9 months ago
i was just talking about "moshi moshi" today with a co-worker and i was trying to figure out how to explain it to her. now i know how to do it! you save the day again, koichi! *fanfare plays* and those foxes are sneaky bastards! (though i think i might use it on telemarketers! they will not be able to trick me! ;-)
and your cat is adorable! where did you get here? im guessing that she is not a kitten as she is 14 pounds lol.
koichi
· 9 months ago
got it at the humane society - and she's 5 years old. Previous owner died, apparently 0_0...
veganliz
· 9 months ago
Ahhh, your cat is obscenely cute! :) Oh yeah, I liked the video too! Your first lines as the telemarketer sounded just like Dumbledore from the Potter Puppet Pals videos.
koichi
· 9 months ago
You mean the absolutely terrible british accent. Best British accent in the world.
zero28
· 9 months ago
Great english accents there koichi you should try your irish one next time lol. I think the fox explanation is the best!
koichi
· 9 months ago
I'm only a master at highly accurate British accents - Irish accent mastery is next on my list :P
kanmuri
· 9 months ago
Apparently it was used twice to make sure that the person on the other side had heard.
Funny post :D
bero
· 9 months ago
I thought "moshi moshi" means pardon me in Japanese
Tonio
· 9 months ago
From how it's used, I figured the best way to describe "moshi moshi" is "Hello" when you want the attention of someone. I never thought of it in it's kanji form 申し申し, but after listening to this it kinda makes sense in this way: "Hello? Say something (are you there). When someone is in their own world in a daze, saying moshi moshi is like saying: "Hey you! Say something! Good way to think of it i guess.
Claytonian
· 9 months ago
I heard that if a dead person calls you, they will only be able to say moshi once.
koichi
· 9 months ago
haha - that's great! It will be useful knowledge for the futuristic zombie apocalypse.
Deas
· 9 months ago
They only say it once...and then they inevitably appear directly behind you...
YoyoKirby
· 9 months ago
Well, I've learned my lesson...
erika303
· 9 months ago
Yeah, I'm definitely voting for the fox explanation XD
Deas
· 9 months ago
I am tempted to answer the phone with 「おいおい」now. Ha ha. It's like how Alexander Graham Bell insisted that people answer the phone with "Ahoy!" but it just never caught on. I'll be the one guy that does it the archaic way. And I bet that will throw off far more telemarketers (and foxes) than a simple もしもし. Am I right? Of course I am.
koichi
· 9 months ago
You'll also sound Yakuza! haha. おいおい、俺様の前に跪くぶぁいい！
Deas
· 9 months ago
Hmmm....true. But if you stretch it out, it's the equivalent of "ahoy!" in English. 「おーい！おぉーい！」There are many ways to befuddle foxy telemarketers. If one doesn't work, just move to the next.
Chris_paros
· 9 months ago
Hahaha, excellent video! I always wondered what it means, and now I know what to tell my friends! (I must be one of the few Greek people that answer with もしもし) Kublai ftw as well ^^
tremor
· 9 months ago
Koichi! You fiend! You demon you! Stole this post from my vaults in Wordpress didn't you. Come on now...admit it! ^^;
It seems great minds think alike! I was planning this exact same post, but what is most interesting is that the reason I have for Moshi Moshi is quite different! Will post an entry pronto and link back to you :P
Mai
· 9 months ago
I read the text explaination because I didn't have time to watch the video but I did scroll all the way to the end to see Kublai Kon.
Foxes are sneaky though! I have them in my neighborhood, and they look so gosh darn cute, but I'm sure they'd probably eat me alive.
João Vitor
· 9 months ago
British accent LOL
Ally
· 9 months ago
So, nowadays, when one answers the phone "moshi moshi," does the caller also say that back? I thought only the receiver of the call said it.
Poisson est tres mal.
· 9 months ago
That fox is so cute! Do foxes have rabies?
mmnessa
· 9 months ago
"they turn into beautiful women, marry you, then screw you over (detect any spite in my words? You should.)" : '( I'm sure it sucks, getting screwed over by a fox and all...
Billy
· 9 months ago
Maybe the first "moshi" was never able to be heard so they always had to repeat themselves and say "moshi" a second time?!
DeeLeigh
· 9 months ago
Answering the phone in a foreign language is the greatest thing...the number of telemarketers I have had hang up on me is astronomical...that awkward pause and then the click...then laughter on my part....GOOD TIMES! GOOD TIMES!!
EditorDave
· 9 months ago
Moshi Moshi! Great post. I've been learning "foreign" languages since I was about 10 years old (started when I was taking Gojyu Ryu karate and had to learn all the stances, punches, kicks, and counting in Japanese! (Uma dachi, Neko dachi, Age uke, Mawashi geri, etc.) Then took Spanish in the 9th grade, followed by Japanese again all through high school and college... then a bit of Russian and some Mandarin Chinese thrown in for kicks and giggles. Posts like this one show the fun in learning a new language... you have to learn the culture as well.. and that's what really makes it interesting! I now teach Japanese to homeschool kiddos...(occasionally)... and I'll include this nice post in the lessons to make it more fun for the kids. Thanks for this post!
GoddessCarlie
· 9 months ago
I always thought of "moshi moshi" like "is the line connected?" That sort of thing.
I love your cat's eyeroll. She was made for the camera! Can't wait for more awesome cat videos :)
pancho1402
· 9 months ago
Dam sneaky foxy bastards i knew they shouldnt be trusted!!
Ricardo Barbosa Kloss
· 9 months ago
heyhey, i choice the fox one... but i care why dog is named dog... i wonder ehy the ethymology of the words... I wonder what is the sense on calling a panela a panela...
Alexis Olson
· 9 months ago
Thanks! I was always confused about Moshi Moshi. I would say that either that or counters are the weirdest part of the Japanese language to me. But I have only been studying for a year so I am sure there is much more weirdness of the language to come!
Surrealeus
· 9 months ago
I'm a Ling major with a Japanese minor, and I'm pretty sure the fox bit is accurate. I vote wholeheartedly for fox.
MO
· 9 months ago
haha, i've been using that word for all my life and never even wondered what it meant....
so, foxes can use phones but can't say moshi moshi? lol
ihaXsakito
· 9 months ago
So odd, I was just talking about Moshi Moshi when I saw this. My brother is into a phase when he goes around yelling Moshi Moshi. Klubai is adorable, and just think if she ever got lost you wouldn't have to worry about another cat having the same name.
Buju
· 9 months ago
I wonder what a conversation would be like with a fox.
bayulaut
· 9 months ago
What I heard is similar to the 2nd one. Moshi moshi = 'Speak speak..' similar to 'Please speak up..'
Koichi_Corrector
· 9 months ago
Koichi, you said that 99% of the time moshi moshi is used for the phone and the other 1% is only for when someone is spacing out. I think I have heard another use...in Suicide Club (自殺サークル) I remember there was a scene where the guy alone in the dark and he was calling out to see if anyone was there and he was saying "moshi moshi?....moshi moshi?" There were no phones involved :P BOOM! I just corrected Koichi!! j/k i've only been studying japanese for 9 months I might be wrong ^^
MO
· 9 months ago
"moshi moshi" practically means "hello", so yeah, you can use it like that too.
karab1n3r_k90
· 8 months ago
Moshi Moshi sounds like cute...i mean...really cute!
MercynRe
· 8 months ago
It's always the fox. Always.
And it ALWAYS works on telemarketers... I keep my voicemail in Japanese as well so they put me on the don't call list, and the few messages I get are just kept for amusement due to general confusion and mumbling, or outright asking someone before hanging up to redial the number and tell them WTF WAS THAT.
I love your new cat for rolling her eyes. Now all of my friends had to sit through 4.5 minutes just to see that, and hate me for having youtube on my phone. And... I didn't go look for my iphone... until about halfway through... cause the ringtone is super annoying to everyone. Hint, it involves me singing loudly at an anime convention, and therefore makes normal people think I'm evil. >_>
Amiko
· 6 months ago
You mention "mosmoshi" being used to get someone's attention if they're spaced out. I thought I'd just add my friends often poke my head and go "pinpo-n" (like a door bell ringing "is anyone home?" xD)
タシちゃｎ
· 6 months ago
あははは！
french man
· 5 months ago
In french labguage and Portuguese language we have words with the exactly usage of MOSHI MOSHI....it's "ALO" to both language
All Comments
~Roxanne Modafferi
Great stuff as always, muy interesante!
and your cat is adorable! where did you get here? im guessing that she is not a kitten as she is 14 pounds lol.
Funny post :D
English. 「おーい！おぉーい！」There are many ways to befuddle foxy telemarketers. If
one doesn't work, just move to the next.
It seems great minds think alike! I was planning this exact same post, but what is most interesting is that the reason I have for Moshi Moshi is quite different! Will post an entry pronto and link back to you :P
Foxes are sneaky though! I have them in my neighborhood, and they look so gosh darn cute, but I'm sure they'd probably eat me alive.
: '( I'm sure it sucks, getting screwed over by a fox and all...
I love your cat's eyeroll. She was made for the camera! Can't wait for more awesome cat videos :)
so, foxes can use phones but can't say moshi moshi? lol
Moshi moshi = 'Speak speak..' similar to 'Please speak up..'
And it ALWAYS works on telemarketers... I keep my voicemail in Japanese as well so they put me on the don't call list, and the few messages I get are just kept for amusement due to general confusion and mumbling, or outright asking someone before hanging up to redial the number and tell them WTF WAS THAT.
I love your new cat for rolling her eyes. Now all of my friends had to sit through 4.5 minutes just to see that, and hate me for having youtube on my phone. And... I didn't go look for my iphone... until about halfway through... cause the ringtone is super annoying to everyone. Hint, it involves me singing loudly at an anime convention, and therefore makes normal people think I'm evil. >_>
I thought I'd just add my friends often poke my head and go "pinpo-n"
(like a door bell ringing "is anyone home?" xD)
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this video was really fun.. motto video wa tanshimeshte masu
arigato ne~