Talking in between the lines: இக்கு வச்சு பேசு

Being too clever, being not too practical, being too sensitive person, not being too naive etc., are usually demonstrated by not saying anything very explicitly but by speaking indirectly with double meanings. This is traditionally expressed by the phrase: இக்கு வச்சி பேசு 'Speak with க்'. The stop consonant க் is usually employed to connect sentences when writing Tamil. Thus, having an க் at the end of a sentence means the sentence is not complete and requires other words or phrases to make it complete. To say that someone speaks with a க், then, means that something is being withheld, etc.

Below are some of the sentences and questions that are used in the contexts of asking someone to be more explicit; being frank in saying something, i.e. யாரோ இக்கு வச்சி பேசும் போது (when someone speaks with a க்).

என்னமோ சொல்ல வந்தேன் மறந்துட்டேன் 'I was going to say something, but forgot'

நீங்க என்னவோ சொல்ல வந்தீங்க ஆனா சொல்லலையே 'you were going to say something, but didn't say it'

என்ன சொல்லணும்ணு நெனெக்கிறீங்க? கூச்சப்படாம சொல்லுங்க. 'What do you want to say? Say it without any shyness.'