Kar doach Jea

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary,'pet peeve', is defined as a 'frequent subject of complaint'.

My pet peeve is our Khmer people using the words 'kar doach jea' so much in the normal conversation. Yesterday when I turned on to a TV show,one Khmer TV host said 'kar doach jea' 3 times in the first 4 minutes the television was on.

Khmer 'kar doach jea' word is literally translated to English 'as similar to'.

It is becoming a fad or the trend of these words 'kar doach jea'. Everybody is jumping on to use them. The words are popular especially among all of the TV show hosts and all ministers; the ones with His Excellency title(Ek Oudums)in their speeches or announcement. Here’s some examples:

A Minister 'Ek Oudom' might howl “…We must lower the rate of poverty ‘kar doch jea’ eliminate the corruption from our Kampuchea.”

Television host might say: “ I, ‘kar doch jea’ this TV station would like to thank viewers inside the country ‘kar doch jea’ our oversea people for support in tuning into our show.

Why not just simply use the word ‘and’ or in Khmer ‘ning’ – or some other variation such as ‘prorm teang’ ‘prorm jeamuy’? I am not a Khmer linguist expert, but I am so annoyed this word is much overused. I would like to just not hearing the words at least once in a normal conversation. Kar doch jea…kar doachjea …kar doch jea . Now the words are deeply stuck in me.

Merriam-Webster dictionary has definition of ‘pet peeve’. I have my own definition of the word ‘kar doch jea’: Khmer words meaning ‘and’ or ‘ning’ in Khmer language. The usage of 'kar doach jea'does not impress others to let them think that you are smart and sophisticated; in fact it makes you sound more stupid.

Bavet-Svay Rieng
Thom