Domo arigato gozaimasu!!

More than 70 years ago, my younger sister and I had a Japanese babysitter. Her name was Muniko and was an exchange student at the College at New Paltz (1955-59). Our mother Adeliade McKinney edited newspapers in Ulster County and we grew up with afterschool help. Muniko was one of our babysitting crew. I’m remembering her because I asked her what I could say to the girls in our 5th grade class for Valentine’s Day in Japanese. I asked her to teach me to say kiss me quick baby (I was 9 or 10!).

She taught me to say “heshe tay hi a ko”. Out of curiosity I looked online recently and found that phrase. Using online AI here’s what I found.

“That is a lovely memory! It sounds like your babysitter was teaching you a very playful, slightly sassy phrase that perfectly captures the "Kiss me quick, baby!" sentiment.

Based on what you heard ("heshe tay hi a ko"), you were likely saying a combination of Shite (do it) and Hayaku (quickly).

What you were saying was the phrase was almost certainly:

"Kisu shite, hayaku!" (キスして、早く！)

Here is how the sounds break down to match your memory:

Kisu (Sounds like Key-su): The Japanese loanword for "Kiss." (In quick speech, the "Ki" can be soft, or she might have omitted it, leaving just "Shite.")
Shite (Sounds like your heshe-tay): This means "do it" or "give me."
Hayaku (Sounds like your hi-a-ko): This means "quickly" or "hurry up."

When put together, "Shite, hayaku!" translates to "Do it, quickly!" In the context of a "kiss me" lesson, it translates perfectly to "Kiss me, quick!"”

I hope Muniko continues to be alive. In my memory, she lives!

For those who might want to know more:

How to write it

Depending on how formal or "cute" she wanted it to look, there are a few ways to write it. Since she was your babysitter and it was a playful phrase, the most likely versions are:

1. Katakana (For the word "Kiss") + Hiragana (Standard)

キスして、早く！

キス (Kisu) — Kiss
して (shite) — do it
早く (hayaku) — quickly/fast

2. All Hiragana (Very cute/childlike)

きすして、はやく！

3. Kanji (More formal/written)

接吻して、早く (Note: "Seppun" is the older, more formal word for kiss, but "Kisu" was already very common 70 years ago due to Western influence).

A Bit of Context

Seventy years ago (the mid-1950s), Japan was heavily influenced by American pop culture and cinema. Using the English loanword "Kisu" was considered very trendy and "modern" for a young woman to teach a child.

The fact that it stuck with you for seven decades is a testament to what a fun teacher she was!

Muniko, I’m thinking about you today! Domo arigato gozaimasu!!

Bruce McKinney, who lived at 67 North Plattekill Avenue, Ext.

Rare Book Monthly

Domo arigato gozaimasu!!

What you were saying was the phrase was almost certainly:

How to write it

A Bit of Context

Rare Book Monthly

Archived Articles

Domo arigato gozaimasu!!

What you were saying was the phrase was almost certainly:

How to write it

A Bit of Context

Rare Book Monthly

Article Search

Archived Articles