아마추어 타자가 프로 투수 공에 도전하다

What does “꼬리치다” mean in Korean?

Take 꼬리 (tail) and 치다 (to wag) and you land on the mental picture of a dog wagging its tail at you. Koreans use it for people, too: 꼬리치다 is slang for flirting — usually the calculated kind, where someone turns on the charm to get what they want. It carries a disapproving edge, so it lands as an accusation, not a compliment.

Dictionaries flag 꼬리치다 as slang and usually derogatory, stereotypically describing one person making eyes at another to reel them in. It’s an accusation, and a loaded one: it’s most often aimed at women and can land as demeaning or sexist, implying someone is being manipulative rather than simply friendly. Treat it as a word to recognize, not one to throw around — you rarely say it about yourself, and calling someone else 꼬리치다 is a real jab. The fuller form keeps the object particle: 꼬리를 치다 (kkorireul chida). Compare the neutral, literal animal version 꼬리를 흔들다 (kkorireul heundeulda, “to wave the tail”), which just describes a happy dog with no shade attached. Here the baseball host plays on it, teasing that a 꼬리치는 일반인 — an ordinary challenger “wagging their tail” — has shown up angling for a swing at the pro pitcher.