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What "Singlish" has crept into your vocabulary?
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What "Singlish" has crept into your vocabulary?
Living in Singapore, you can't help but be totally immersed in the local culture. I drink Tiger beer on occasion, get extra chili sauce for my chicken rice, drink my kopi-o kosong. There are many aspects of the country that has become part of my daily life. The part that scares me is local language sometimes slips out like word vomit when I speak. What Singlish phrases do you find yourself saying? I wanted to browse through older posts to see if there were similar topics, but too lazy lah.
Last edited by xandersdad1 on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 9:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
Can (cancan, also can etc), Cannot, Cananot and Lah occasionally pop out.
I quite like Can, it's decisive and simple, cancan seems to please the locals when they ask for something, alsocan is more of a mickey take.
Cannot is a bit cumbersome and usually wrong for the context, I hate it, this is probably my word vomit.
Lah/ah/arrggh - sometimes it helps to use this when telling someone something in a taxi. Punggol Uncle arrrggg
oh yeah and Auntie and Uncle for old folks who clean up and drive taxis generally since I work and live in very "non-local" places, these seem to be the only old folk I come across.
What about you? still speak queens English izzit?

I quite like Can, it's decisive and simple, cancan seems to please the locals when they ask for something, alsocan is more of a mickey take.
Cannot is a bit cumbersome and usually wrong for the context, I hate it, this is probably my word vomit.
Lah/ah/arrggh - sometimes it helps to use this when telling someone something in a taxi. Punggol Uncle arrrggg
oh yeah and Auntie and Uncle for old folks who clean up and drive taxis generally since I work and live in very "non-local" places, these seem to be the only old folk I come across.
What about you? still speak queens English izzit?


nutnut
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Of course, me, I've already been called gramps by the lynx!
But of course I can be thankful, I guess, as she hasn't resorted to ah pek yet!


But of course I can be thankful, I guess, as she hasn't resorted to ah pek yet!


SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers
I'm not as old as Gramps Lynx! I'm still a youngsterthe lynx wrote:That's for younutnut wrote:oh yeah and Auntie and Uncle for old folks who clean up and drive taxis generally since I work and live in very "non-local" places, these seem to be the only old folk I come across.
For me, I'd address you as 'uncle'![]()
![]()

nutnut
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Trust me, I am that young. Heck, SMS even told me himself that he's old enough to be my gramps.nutnut wrote:I'm not as old as Gramps Lynx! I'm still a youngsterthe lynx wrote:That's for younutnut wrote:oh yeah and Auntie and Uncle for old folks who clean up and drive taxis generally since I work and live in very "non-local" places, these seem to be the only old folk I come across.
For me, I'd address you as 'uncle'![]()
![]()
Cannot call me uncle lah

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Re: What "Singlish" has crept into your vocabulary
If you're familiar with Hokkian and Melayu, things are even better: "beh sai" (cannot), "beh tahan" (cannot take it), "kns" (kena sai, or sh*t happens), "kena scold" (scolded), and many morexandersdad1 wrote:Living in Singapore, you can't help but be totally immersed in the local culture. I drink Tiger beer on occasion, get extra chili sauce for my chicken rice, drink my kopi-o kosong. There are many aspects of the country that has become part of my daily life. The part that scares me is local language sometimes slips out like word vomit when I speak. What Singlish phrases do you find yourself saying? I wanted to browse through older posts to see if there were similar topics, but too lazy lah.



"Budget Expat"
Oh OK! in which case then I didn't realise, I took you as a similar age to me I guess. - the wonders of the internet, I can call you young lady thenthe lynx wrote:Trust me, I am that young. Heck, SMS even told me himself that he's old enough to be my gramps.nutnut wrote:I'm not as old as Gramps Lynx! I'm still a youngsterthe lynx wrote: That's for you
For me, I'd address you as 'uncle'![]()
![]()
Cannot call me uncle lah

nutnut
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Or 'ah girl' like how other older uncles and aunties would address menutnut wrote:Oh OK! in which case then I didn't realise, I took you as a similar age to me I guess. - the wonders of the internet, I can call you young lady thenthe lynx wrote:Trust me, I am that young. Heck, SMS even told me himself that he's old enough to be my gramps.nutnut wrote: I'm not as old as Gramps Lynx! I'm still a youngsterCannot call me uncle lah

Lynx, are you that young to consider it as a complement or as a woman, young but sufficiently older to consider it as an insult?nutnut wrote:Oh OK! in which case then I didn't realise, I took you as a similar age to me I guess. - the wonders of the internet, I can call you young lady thenthe lynx wrote:Trust me, I am that young. Heck, SMS even told me himself that he's old enough to be my gramps.nutnut wrote: I'm not as old as Gramps Lynx! I'm still a youngsterCannot call me uncle lah
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She's actually young enough to be my granddaughter. Doesn't mean she's a child however. Definitely NOT!
Just says that I'll be 65 on Saturday!


Just says that I'll be 65 on Saturday!


SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers
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I'm close to a decade younger than younutnut wrote:I'm scientifically young enough to be your grandson SMS, I'm 34, it would be tight, but I've heard of 30 year old grandfathers in the UK.
Ok Gramps?
Lynx from now I will just refer to you as "girl" like the Indian Aunties and Uncles do, I find that charming to be honest!

Similarly the Chinese uncles and aunties also use "ah girl", while the Malays would use "adik" or "dik" (little sister).
Good question --- neither. I get those remarks A LOT so never really bother me. I believe SMS can vouch for me in that department.x9200 wrote:Lynx, are you that young to consider it as a complement or as a woman, young but sufficiently older to consider it as an insult?
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