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What does “sontoloyo” mean in Indonesian?

A dad legally changes his name to “Ronan” (after a Hollywood star), and his wife is unimpressed: «Sontoloyo kamu pak» (“you fool, dad”). Sontoloyo is a playful Javanese-Indonesian insult, “fool, silly, ridiculous.”

Originally a word for a careless duck-herder, it shot back into everyday use when President Jokowi scolded “politikus sontoloyo” (“ridiculous politicians”). It lands as exasperated affection more than real venom, here paired with elek (“ugly,” from Javanese). For learners it’s a softer, funnier way to call someone a clown without crossing the line.