Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/13/84; site cadsys.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!amd!amdcad!lll-crg!well!hplabs!intelca!cadsys!ekwok From: ekwok@cadsys.UUCP (Kwok Ed) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: Worst of the Bay Message-ID: <133@cadsys.UUCP> Date: Thu, 15-Aug-85 12:33:25 EDT Article-I.D.: cadsys.133 Posted: Thu Aug 15 12:33:25 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 00:05:56 EDT References: <450@olivee.UUCP> <132@cadsys.UUCP> <805@ptsfa.UUCP> Reply-To: ekwok@cadsys.UUCP (Kwok Ed) Organization: Intel, Santa Clara, Ca. Lines: 16 Being a native of Hongkong, supposedly around where the term 'TAI PAN' comes from, I am surprised to hear from some of you that 'Tai Pan' sometimes means the manager of a toilet or something to that effect. I have never heard of such usage of the term. To us, (My father, and my grandfather also, worked for/with foreign trading firms - non-Hongkong capital - most of his career), 'Tai Pan' is the top expatriate manager - like the president of a local subsidiary of a foreign firm. I think James Clavell used the term correctly. Furthermore, I have never heard a local referred to as a 'Tai Pan', so I think there is also the implicit qualification of being foreign to be attributed thus. Mind you, though, the term is NOT intended to be derogatory; most reference to 'Tai Pan' is respectful. Anybody else ?