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Hello everybody, welcome back to daily easy English expression.
My name is coach Shane.
Today's expression is fantastic.
It is cow towel. Cow towel.
The spelling is K -O -W -T -O -W.
It's one word, and it's a verb.
I guess it could be used as a noun, but we usually use it as a verb, and we say something like, don't kow -tow to him, or you need to kow -tow to me.
What does it mean to kow -tow?
Well, basically, it means to bow, b -o -w.
You can think about maybe in Japan or China when two old men meet each other.
When they say hi, do they shake hands?
Now, usually they bow.
They bend over and look at the ground.
They don't look at the person and they say hi.
this is bowing and actually kao tao is a word that comes from Chinese.
So this is an English word that we took from China, kao tao.
However, do Americans bow?
No, it's not common. I know many cultures around the world, they will bow to each other.
But in America, especially in business or politics, we don't bow.
We shake hands. Or maybe in sports, we even high five.
But we don't kowtow.
So in America, do you think kowtow to the boss has a positive meaning or a negative meaning?
That's right. It has a bit of a negative meaning.
So that's why we say don't kow tau to the boss.
Or we could say you have to kow tau to me.
You have to bow before me.
You are nothing compared to me.
Do you understand? No, no, no. Never kow tau in front of me.
Let's listen to a dialogue.
You look stressed! I have to go out with my boss tonight.
He drinks! Don't count out to him when it comes to drinking.
Be polite but strong.
But what if I lose my job?
Oh boy, that's a tricky situation.
If your boss is going out to dinner at night and you are invited, and if your boss is drinking alcohol do you also have to drink alcohol hmm well if you like alcohol go ahead enjoy yourself but what if you don't like alcohol should you drink well if you think you should then you are cowtowing to your boss.
Do you understand? You're not bowing, you're not actually physically bowing, but you're putting yourself below the person.
You're putting that person up in a very high position.
You are that person's servant.
Do you understand? Yeah, that's a tough situation.
How to have a good relationship with your boss, sometimes you might need to kowtow.
What about with your wife or your husband?
Well I think as a guy I know that many men kowtow to their wives.
I think more men kowtow to their wives than wives kowtow to their husbands don't you think so am I wrong huh not me I'm single baby I do not kowtow to anybody oh yeah okay let's check out the dialogue two more times you look stressed I have to go out with my boss tonight he drinks don't kowtow to him when it comes to drinking.
Be polite but strong.
But what if I lose my job?
You look stressed. I have to go out with my boss tonight.
He drinks. Don't cow -tow to him when it comes to drinking.
Be polite but strong.
But what if I lose my job?
So be honest. Do you cow -tow to anybody?
What if you met the president of your country?
Would you kowtow to your president?
Do you kowtow to your mom or your dad, your husband, your wife, your brother, your sister, your girlfriend, your boyfriend?
Who do you kowtow to?
Do people kowtow to you?
Cool! Leave me a message.
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