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.
Ketterer Rare Books, May 18: Linschoten, Navigatio ac itinerarium. 1599. Est: € 80,000
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Ketterer Rare Books, May 18: J. Glogoviensis, Introductorium compendiosum in tractatum spere, 1513. Est: € 8,000
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Ketterer Rare Books, May 18: Albert Einstein, Signifcant scientific letter to his Princeton colleague E. G. Straus, 1945. Est: € 10,000
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Ketterer Rare Books, May 18: Ostrog Bible, 1581. Est: € 18,000
Ketterer Rare Books, May 18:PAN, 10 volumes, 1895-1900. Est: € 12,000
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Ketterer Rare Books, May 18: H. Schedel, Liber chronicarum, 1493. Est: € 35,000
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Ketterer Rare Books, May 18: Ch. Bukowski & K. Price, Heat Wave, 1995. Est: € 5,000
Sotheby’s Original Film Posters Open for bidding 5-20 May
Sotheby’s, May 5-20: King Kong (1933). Rare Czech poster for King Kong, 1933. £40,000 to £60,000.
Sotheby’s, May 5-20: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). British One Sheet for Ferris Bueller's Day Off, 1986. £4,000 to £6,000.
Sotheby’s, May 5-20: Goldfinger (1964). British Quad for Goldfinger, signed by Shirley Bassey, 1964. £7,000 to £10,000.
Sotheby’s, May 5-20: Alice in Wonderland / Alice au Pays des Merveilles (1951). French Grande for Alice in Wonderland / Alice au Pays des Merveilles, 1951. £7,000 to £10,000.
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Sotheby’s, May 5-20: Star Wars (1977). British Quad for Star Wars, 1977. £5,000 to £8,000.
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Forum, May 28: Book of Hours.- Heures de nostre dame a l'usaige de Romme, Paris, Antoine Chappiel pour Germain Hardouin, [1504]. £6,000-8,000
Forum, May 28: Colonna (Francesco). La Hypnerotomachia di Poliphilo, second edition, Venice, Sons of Aldus Manutius, 1545. £15,000-20,000
Forum, May 28:The Christ Child holding a crystal orb and surrounded by banderoles with devotional exhortations, on a leaf most probably from a Book of Hours, [Southern Netherlands, last decades of the fifteenth century]. £2,000-3,000
Forum Auctions Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper 28th May 2026
Forum, May 28: Jackson (Shirley). The Haunting of Hill House, first English edition, signed presentation inscription from the author to Claude Fredericks, 1960. £2,000-3,000
Forum, May 28: Lennon (John). In His Own Write, first edition, first impression, signed by the author, 1964. £3,000-4,000
Forum, May 28: Doves Press.- Keats (John). [Poems], one of 200 copies on paper, Doves Press, 1914. £5,000-7,000
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Forum, May 28: Rodrigues (João Barbosa). Sertum Palmarum Brasiliensium, 2 vol., first and only edition, Brussels, 1903. £8,000-12,000
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Lion Heart Autographs Landmark Auction of Rare & Important Autograph Letters & Manuscripts—Fresh to the Market and Unseen for Decades May 20, 2026
Lion Heart, Ending May 20: Dr. King will “follow Christ to death” for Racial Equality & “the health of Democracy”. $12,000 to $14,000.
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Lion Heart, Ending May 20: Brahms Signed Autograph Musical Manuscript Last Auctioned in 1938. $42,000 to $45,000.
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Lion Heart, Ending May 20: Rare Ltd. Ed. of Alfred Dreyfus’ Memoir Inscribed to French Politician and Dreyfusard. $12,000 to $15,000.
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Lion Heart Autographs Landmark Auction of Rare & Important Autograph Letters & Manuscripts—Fresh to the Market and Unseen for Decades May 20, 2026
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Freeman’s, May 14: Tolkien, J.R.R.. The Lord of the Rings trilogy. All First Editions and First Impressions. 1955. $15,000 – 20,000.
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Freeman’s, May 14: Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1949. First Edition with the Rare Publisher’s Printed Wrap-Around Band. $8,000 – 12,000.
Freeman’s, May 15: Complete Set of 52 Tinted Lithographed Plates Containing Pre-Fire Chicago City Views by Louis Kurz and the Chicago Lithographing Company. $10,000 – 15,000.
Freeman’s, May 14: Jefferson, Thomas. Notes on the State of Virginia. First London Edition. $10,000 – 15,000.
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Freeman’s, May 14: Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Raven" in The American Review. Volume I, number II. February 1845. First Printing in Original Wrappers. $8,000 – 12,000.
Freeman’s, May 14: Stoker, Bram. Dracula. First Edition, First Issue. $6,000 – 8,000.
Freeman’s, May 15: A group of artifacts relating to the Pre-Fire Chicago courthouse bell, ca 1871-1877. $800 – 1,200.
