Chicken Nugget is a term used to describe the westernized Kuwaitis (dark from the outside, white from the inside) you know the kind, you’ve heard them talk around you with that perfect accent, you hated them for it, and you wished you could speak like them.. but lets face it ya3ny.. we, as in we who studied in public schools and started learning english at 13 and used to sing Old Mcdonalds in english classes at the age of 14 and 13 (the shame!) won’t ever be able to speak like them.. no matter how we tried to loose the Rs and no matter how hard we tried to go easy on the Ts & Ps.. It just won’t work.
My cousin, who is partially nuggety was daring me to pronounce “water” the way americans do, and believe it or not, I failed. I tried to sound like him but unfortunately I sounded neither american nor Kuwaiti, it kinda evolved miraculously into an indian accent, every single time I tried.
I don’t wanna digress.. I’m trying to take a jab and accuse the Nuggets of something here. I think the Nuggets like the term Chicken Nugget. I also think that the term was used and made popular in Kuwait by none other than them.. I mean how can “we” the 7abarbash of public schools with our miserable english come up with such a term! Seriously have you heard us say the word NUGGET?
To all the chicken nuggets out there… WE’RE ON TO YOU!
This post was inspired by THIS POST.
hahahaha! I haven’t heard that term in a long time! Seriously! So funny when I first heard it, its genius! lol
Ok we’ll westernized q8ys who are white inside and out shloon?
My sister studied in KES and then an american school. She can do a british accent perfectly but has no american accent… my brother was in a british school all his life, has no accent whatsover…
so it’s not only about us 7abarbash public schools 😀
Who wants to say WADEER anyways?!!? wooteer ibleez a7la 😀
I’ve been told that they call us TK “Typical kuwaiti” ?
http://ansam518.blogspot.com/2009/03/chicken-nuggets-term.html
Awww… *wipes sympathetic tears off her face*… 😛 If it makes you feel any better we can come up with a name for you too! I remember ages ago in some comment I suggested the term Ma3booch? How about Achaar? Wala yhimik YREEEEEEEESH… ya3ni dark all over moo bass on the outside. Ha shgilt shraayik?
(In reference to OK’s comment I hate the term TK being used as an insult. Hell if someone calls someone else ‘typical Kuwaiti’ they’d better be damn proud of it.)
Wow! I did not know that! You know even though I studied in a “British system” school I have formulated a British/American/Kuwaiti accent! lol with NO fault of mine! which reminds me of a funny story that happend to me when I was in the States for “Summer Vacation” so when I told the receptionist I was from Kuwait.. she was stunned! and said: GET OUT I THOUGHT YOU WERE FROM CALIFORNIA! (ee khair inshallah! lol) so I said: No honey I from “Santa Qortuba” lol (yam Orange County!lol)
There are certain words I learned to pronounce them in a British accent for e.g. (Really = RayLay!) so I would go like this “Oh raylay sir!” just for FUN you guys! lol BUT! I’m proud to say that I hold a perfect Kuwaiti accent.. some of my friends say about me ini “3ayouz” just bcoz I use “Kuwiati Terminologies” such as: weee “mayr” “Zmalt” 7g el6al3ah! lol or.. wee ma yamdi “Lazni” elwgt lol “It’hagain” or “Bthmtich” wayd a7laa mn “SHUT UP ” o “GET OUT” lol (Ya zeen lahjatna!)
The worst kind of nuggets are those who speak perfectly good arabic, yet choose to talk to each other in english. You’re kuwaiti, speak arabic for gods sake. I can understand when you throw in one or two english words here and there, but english all the time pisses me off.
The younger generation barely speak to each other in arabic, and i have to scream at my brother and his friends to TALK IN ARABIC, allah yastir 3ala ajyalna ilqadma.
1001Nights- i know, that’s the reason i added a question mark at the end of my sentence.
I used to teach EFL for a while, but teaching in the classroom really frustrated me. Here is the secret – it isn’t the classroom learning, all those grammar lessons – it’s hanging out with people who force you to speak English. It’s like opening a tap – at first, there is a hesitation, and then it pours out.
I had the same experience learning French. I studied for years. I didn’t SPEAK French until I lived in a French speaking country and had to speak French to feed my family! Once you start, it just grows, but to speak idiomatically – you just gotta hang with people who do.
I first heard the CN term three years ago; it was used as an insult by “pure bloods” against the “mud bloods.” I love the way the meaning has been hijacked, and become something positive.
BTW, my Arab students were ALWAYS the best talkers. 😉
I don’t have anything toward them BUT, I think most of them are talking in english sometimes in public just for show off !.
Come on guys ya3ni ana ag3ad ma3a rab3y o atkalam english.. why is that?
If i need to say some “english terms” its ok .. bs mo kel kelma welthania english without any reason..
No offense but I see alot of girls are doing this stuff… o girls do speak english better than guys in my point of view. but no need to show it off.
i’m what you would normally label a chicken nugget BUT i realized during my studies abroad that having an accent different than everyone else i.e. americans is the way to go, it felt special and as i came to learn later it was a neutral accent neither kuwaiti nor american, which in my opinion way better than being labeled as something.
so stop rolling your r’s and destressing your t’s and such; just speak the way you feel like speaking, in the end it’s about being understood and not spattering at people while pretending to be something you’re not.
LOOOOOOOOOL!!!
waay waaayy mit mit mit !!! 😛
the 7abarbash of public schools;p
u wanna be me.. but u cant be me 😛 tough luck ;p
O.K. is just jealous that we call him “a3gad” in the diwaniya its ok buddy… 😛
Abdullah, I wish it was about showing off but I think the problem is much much bigger. My English, both written and spoken, is several times better than my Arabic and I find expression to be easier because my English vocabulary is vaster so I can describe things in a more detailed and exact manner when speaking in English. For example, you can say ‘thaayig 5ulgi’ or ‘imqaldim’ or ‘7ass bi’ghliga’ and all those words mean “depressed” but words like ‘frustrated’, ‘jaded’ or ‘hopeless’ describe a more specific kind of sadness or anxiety. I think being able to express yourself is not always just for fun but it’s an actual human need and I really do think that most people who find themselves saying most sentences in English do it out of a real need to feel like they expressed what they wanted to express more exactly and not because they want to put other people down. Actually they usually only speak English a lot to each other so there’s no one to put down.
Sadly, I believe it’s a problem with our education. I think that what’s demanded of Kuwaitis in English curriculum at school is more progressive and more difficult than what’s demanded in Arabic classes (aside from grammar (na7oo) that is) It seems that although most people speak Kuwaiti just fine (I do too), even those who went to public schools have an impoverished level of classical Arabic. That’s why I think you see bloggers from public schools who didn’t study in the US write their posts in English, because unfortunately, even they find it easier to write in English than in Arabic. This is nothing to show off about I’m afraid. It’s embarrassing.
One thing separates the nuggets from the rest. Just ask yourself “do I think in English?” If you do then you are a big fat nugget. If you don’t then you are a super falcon(!!!)
People who studied in private schools have a nasty habit of saying “chithee laish” an exact translation of “that’s why”
I consider myself extremely lucky I managed to get rid of this habit early!
PS. People who studied in public schools shamefully understand the the meaning of super falcon! 😉
Yoyo!
pull yourself together, shino you couldn’t say water!!!!!!
I’m a 7abarbash grad also, but it’s not about the school, yes the school can contribute but when it comes to accent it’s partially a skill you develop with practice, might sound eny amade7 b3omry but my spoken english is unbelievable though I completed all my education till uni in gov schools! but the trick is in listening, use the radio it’s the best thing you’ve got, which accent do you like?
british? BBC worldservice
amarican? VOA
it won’t happen over time
but every day as you listen to the way they talk you’ll get the hang of it
not just that
speek it out loud!
tefalsaf as much as you can
and you’ll get there my fellow 7abarbash 😉
abdulmohsen mo bs el super falcon el UFOsss ba3ad 😛
ooo “G” 3yal fe “3agad” wayed bel dwania eb ten6ag elyoum
la t7aty ‘G’ ma3ak rijaaaaaal!!!!
ilchicken nuggets faz3a! 🙂
3ala raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasi!!!!!
lol i don’t agree with you.. and lol don’t call yourself 7abarbash!! I am a public school graduate and I never felt lower than those who studied in private schools.. In fact, I feel sorry their Arabic is not as good as it should be.. That is how I feel when I see my son, his English is good but his Arabic is so lame because we are abroad 🙁
I agree with Abdulla I see that everytime I am in kuwait, the kids talk in English together and I always tell them to stop and talk in Arabic.. Some of them find it hard to express themselves in Arabic but we should encourage them to learn more Arabic vocabulary.. I usually tell my son, who sometimes finds it hard to express something, how to say what he wants to say in Arabic..
you speak in the language that you think with..
laish 7abarbaash 3ad? 🙁
o ba3dain its hard to beleive ur english is not that good , ive been reading ur posts mn zmmmmmmmaaann oo mahsalllaah its always well written ,
u sure u dont have an accent?:p
http://dreamsmadefleshq8.blogspot.com/2009/04/im-not-chicken-nugget.html
In respons to the blog and comments.
abdulmohsen faz3at el 7ikooma aqwa 😛
Mentabolism: that is not neccessarily true since we sometimes translate our thoughts before speaking. This is how I feel sometimes anyway!
Would a chicken nugget be comfortable marrying/dating a non chicken nugget?
I mean hardcore nuggets…
wrong wrong wrong.
White from the inside? wtf? Ew! No! If “chicken nuggets” are familiar with the States’/Uk’s pop-culture, and are able to speak english without it being dragged like a heavy lump of dung doesnt make them ‘white’ from the inside.
And the term wasnt coined by Chicken Nuggets because to the nuggets, they/we are living the true reality, hence, why would they/we label ourselves when others are supposed to be labeled? Plus you dont have to be a genius in any language in order to name a community after mcdonald’s crap.
and to answer Nora
Things like a dialogue/accent difference doesnt serve as a barrier between people. You kinda sound like you are saying: “is a any sunni comfortable marrying a she3e.” It just depends on the person :/
Nora,
I’m married to a “Ma3booch”…. you should see us when we fight!!! I switch to a different language, and he has this clueless face on him, wondering what the hell got into me and how he can get through me :p
Or when I’m trying to say something in Arabic and I get it all wrong and he starts making fun of me…. its a nightmare !!!
hahah i remember once passing by a group of guys while i was talking in english, and as they walked by, they mumbled “7adkom chicken nuggets!” lool i found it hilarious! and u know what: I’m proud to be a chicken nugget! ;p
I apologize for being a chicken nugget 😛 Bas if I’m speaking oo ashta6 bil salfa, I immediately switch over to English, walla it’s not on purpose! D:
loool .. This is the funniest post I have read on your blog so far .. It is so true .. I
1001Nights I agree with you completely. Its sad yet the truth when you try to find the words to express a specific thought/expression and adhere to using English rather than your native Arabic. I’ve observed with most English educated students who have studied abroad and come back to work in Kuwait improve their conversational Arabic immensely.
On a side note, if you notice yourself counting in English rather than Arabic… CN all the way! Plus, a friend of mine recently referred to McChicken as well.
And as far as a commenter saying girls speak English better than boys, I’m afraid there is no correlation there. I’ve seen both genders speak it fluently. Unfortunately, I do agree that some girls take it on a different level speaking English all the time and think its ‘in’ to do that.
ok the term I heard in London is coconut (for black people pretending to be white)… This is the first time I hear about this one. Trust the Kuwaiti version to be unhealthy and deep fried 🙂
Great post.
whats wrong with 7abarbash and 7okoma school :r !? i think we are just fine and proud to be TK “Typical Kuwaiti” :]
P.S : its important to learn other languages but it will be sad to use it and forget our language .
LOL THIS GOT SO POPULAR
i believe the term “chicken naggest” came mn the theme ena moderniest o americanesd kind of thing (mu kuwaity 6abe3y)
since we got that kind of food mn 3ndhum, try to tell wa7d shayeb “chicken naggest” shoof shra7 yeqolik…
thats the kind of flavor the “term” came from i believe
ambeeh el post 3jeeeeb !!! am one of the 7barbash of public school grad. and trying to get the accent !! coz my english seems to be more q8ity ! so i was just telling my friend ana chicken nuggets neyaaaah 😛 and u my friend is achaaaaaaaar 😛 hehe !
and “machboos” is for u guys that talk in arabic all the time and use the hard arabic words and all that !
i have studied in a private school (BBS) my whole life and now i study in the US and i have a great American accent but that doesn’t make me a chicken nugget because i speak Kuwaiti better than English and i always speak Arabic if im talking to an Arab as well as the fact that id rather go to the dewaniya and go play soccer or watch Real Madrid play than to go to a lame Americanized party therefore most of the girls in my school and other schools considered me a TK (typical Kuwaiti) my point is that your definition of chicken nugget is wrong it doesn’t mean that u just gotta have an American accent but its rather a way of how a person lives and approaches his life as well as his conversations with others. Cause i am one person that has an American accent but i consider my self to be a regular or typical Kuwaiti.
ps. for those wondering i know how to say water the American way
As a former old school Kuwaiti blogger from way back when (waaaay back at the end of 2004/beginning of 2005 when we all first started blogging), I would like to inform you that the term “chicken nugget” was coined by a fellow old-school Kuwaiti blogger, a fact which brings me great pride and a warm, fuzzy kind of nostalgic glow for the good old days of Kuwaiti blogging in it’s infancy SIGH 🙂
Well, I guess I am a kind of a chicken nugget. I have an American mother, Kuwaiti father, and spent much of my childhood being schooled and growing up in America (Boston) and at BBS in Kuwait – the quintessential chicken nugget private school, yet I would have given anything to be typically, so very typically Kuwaiti. I have to work twice as hard at being a “Kuwaiti” and I sometimes even exaggerate my “Kuwaitiness” by acting like an old Kuwaiti grandma all because of that longing for a unified identity and sense of belonging or identification with the typical Kuwaiti breed. The solution to this convoluted social and cultural dichotomy for those half-breeds like me, has been to collectively form our own separate kind of Kuwaiti identity – which is that of the “half breed”. And almost all of us Kuwaiti half-breeds totally get the other, totally know where each of us comes from both emotionally and mentally.
Also, my mom is an English teacher – hence the good English. Unfortunately, my Arabic most sadly sucks, and that is something I deeply regret. Nothing to do with showing off as 1001 mentioned, it is just a fact that cannot be helped :/
looooooooooooooooooooooool yousef kil man hab o dab 9ar yabey e9er chicken nugget la7oooooool, la walla ya 7ilooo 7abarbash el public school 9j enna hwal o ma2asey bs at least t7es inhom kuwaitien maloot awal mo nafs kwetien hal yomain kilma 3araby o 3asher english la o kilish walla el e5te9arat mithil W.T.H ma95ara
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL walla a7la chicken nugget post so far LOL and walla jayiz ina il chicken nugget term was made up by a chicken nugget! ana i didnt know we were called that until 3rd year of uni and i was all offended but now madre a7is yalla chicken nugget chicken nugget shwarana :p
Back in good ol’ India we have a word for such aberrations : “coconut” is what we like to call them – ‘brown outside white inside’. I personally think it’s a racist slur calling people coconuts or chicken nuggets or what have you. ABCD ( American Born Confused Desi) as a refrain for someone of Indian extraction but raised in the West is a euphemism, and one that sits rather well with most Indians on mainland India. That was just to give y’all a blog byte from this side of the pond.
English is dead easy.
If you wanna show off, try speaking in grammatically correct Classical Arabic 🙂
Just an F.Y.I:
The term Chicken Nugget in Kuwait was in fact invented by a Kuwaityigoing to a Public School, therefore your whole post is an epic fail…but hey nice try though =)