White people living or travelling in South East Asia.
White ex-pats are often seen as fat, white and inert. Common variants are "fat potato", "stupid potato", "dirty potato" and so on.
Potato was first coined in 2008 by ex-pats living in Vietnam. It was first reference in the Vietnam Times in January 2009, and spread quite quickly throughout Vietnam and is currently becoming pervasive in major ex-pat hubs including Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City. Term has also surfaced in the SE Asian community in Australia.
In Sydney the increased
Anglo-Saxon interest in Asian cultures has led to this word being used in a derogatory manner to describe
Anglo-Saxon patrons to SE Asian establishments.
Potatospeak is a humorous term used to refer to metaphors which use this slang, including:
Potato Salad - a large gathering of potatoes, usually around hotel swimming pools.
Mashed Potato - amotorbike accident involving at least one potato. Often includes a muffler burn.
Baked Potato - sunburn
Potato Wedge - a poorly executed motorbike manouever
Potato Famine - a potato orders a meal at a local restaurant. On arrival he realises it is completely inedible.
Atkins Diet - a period of time when the potato decides he or she doesn’t want any more potato in his life.
Bubble and Squeak - older potato who has hooked up with a younger, beautiful local girl
Fauxtato - a local person who is sitting in a Hard Rock Cafe.
"We went to this really nice Italian
Restaurant in the old quarter of Hanoi, and it was full of potatoes."
"
You should have seen the
potato salad around the pool at the Sofitel last weekend."
