Nicknames/Address Guide (ie, Because Subs Just Don't Tell Us These Things)
Q: What does ML keep calling FL?
A: It's a noona romance, but you're only going to hear the term a few times. ML has been writing to FL in his diary for years addressing her in banmal as 당신/dangsin. Dangsin is a 2nd person singular pronoun that has two common opposite uses in banmal:
- to very rudely address someone without honorifics
- an old-fashioned term of endearment, usually translated as darling/dear
When ML defaults to banmal/dangsin FL assumes he's being rude because of the circumstances. He doesn't clarify, which she uses as excuse to be equally rude; so ML gets away with banmal/dangsin from the start despite their age difference and lack of familiarity. He eventually formally asks permission, but it takes a while.
In an interesting parallel, banmal/dangsin is also how ML addresses the killer, but for the opposite reason. It emphasizes the lack of respect in their relationship instead of the level of intimacy.
Q: What is everyone else calling FL?
A: FL's surname and her professional title together sound like 'intestinal waste' (ie, shitty lawyer). SML nicknames her 짱변/jjang byeon (best/awesome lawyer) instead - a play on her surname, Jang - and it catches on quickly.
Q: What does FL keep calling ML?
A: Better question: what doesn't she call him? FL is rude in general, but she's especially rude and over-familiar with ML. Her favorite nicknames/insults are:
- 애/ae (contraction of 아이/child): Slang for someone younger. Can be endearing.
- 밥통아/baptong-a (rice pot + vocative marker): Dummy. Somewhat cutesy/affectionate.
- 자식/jasig (offspring): Rude slang for someone younger. Can be endearing, but usually only from elders or immediate family.
- 껌딱지/kkeomttagji (dried up chewing gum): Because he's stuck to her.
When FL is verklempt (or after she knows she has feelings for him), she calls ML 수하야/soo-ha-ya (his given name with the vocative marker). In context, the vocative marker acts as a diminutive suffix; it's what you call someone very close and well known to you. Coming from FL (who, of course, never asks permission) it's pretty presumptuous and wildly affectionate.
Random Facts:
- ML addresses his uncle as 고모부/gomobu, which means he's his paternal aunt's husband and not a blood relative.
- FL refers to frenemy SFL as '재수없 애' when she's tipsy; which literally means 'unlucky girl' but can colloquially mean 'bitch'.
