catch the snake's tail [children's game]
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 catch the snake's tail [children's game]
- 2 go around in circles
This names a traditional Thai children's game of catching a snake's tail. Figuratively, it describes a situation that keeps circling back on itself without resolution.
catch the snake's tail [children's game]
A group game in which children form a snake-like line and a catcher tries to catch the child at the back.
go around in circles
Describes a chain of events or reasoning that loops back to its starting point without reaching a resolution.
-
ปัญหาความยากจนกับการขาดโอกาสทางการศึกษาเป็นวงจรงูกินหางที่แก้ไขได้ยาก panhǎa khwaam yâak con kàp kaan khàat ookàat thaaŋ kaan sʉ̀ksǎa pen woŋcɔɔn ŋuu kin hǎaŋ thîi kɛ̂ɛkhǎy dâay yâak Poverty and a lack of educational opportunities create a vicious cycle that is difficult to break. ปัญหาความยากจนกับการขาดโอกาสทางการศึกษาเป็นวงจรงูกินหางที่แก้ไขได้ยาก details
Learning notes
Explanation
The expression combines งู “snake,” กิน “eat,” and หาง “tail.” Its figurative meaning draws on the image of a snake eating its own tail and forming a closed loop. In a typical version of the game, children line up behind a “mother snake.” A separate catcher, the “father snake,” tries to catch the last child while the mother protects the line. Rules can vary. Use เล่นงูกินหาง for playing the game. For the figurative sense, a useful pattern is วนเป็นงูกินหาง, meaning “go around in circles.”
Usage
The game name appears in school activities and discussions of traditional Thai games. Figuratively, the expression suits arguments that return to the same points or situations such as repeatedly borrowing to repay debt.
Caution
For simply doing something repeatedly, use an expression such as ทำซ้ำ ๆ. งูกินหาง suggests a loop that leads back to the starting point.
Differences from similar words
2 go around in circles synonyms
-
วงจรอุบาทว์ means a vicious cycle in which harmful effects reinforce their causes. งูกินหาง focuses on circling back without resolution and does not necessarily imply worsening conditions.
-
วนเวียน broadly describes going around the same place or repeatedly returning to the same state. งูกินหาง emphasizes a chain that loops back on itself.