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What "Singlish" has crept into your vocabulary?

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xandersdad1
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What "Singlish" has crept into your vocabulary?

Post by xandersdad1 » Thu, 30 Aug 2012 5:35 am

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.

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nutnut
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Post by nutnut » Thu, 30 Aug 2012 8:45 am

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? ;) :P
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the lynx
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Post by the lynx » Thu, 30 Aug 2012 8:49 am

nutnut 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.
That's for you :P

For me, I'd address you as 'uncle' :P :P :P

:lol:

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sundaymorningstaple
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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Thu, 30 Aug 2012 10:16 am

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!

;-) :lol:
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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Post by nakatago » Thu, 30 Aug 2012 10:31 am

sundaymorningstaple wrote:ah pek
"That's what she said!"

:lol: :lol: :lol:
"A quokka is what would happen if there was an anime about kangaroos."

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nutnut
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Post by nutnut » Thu, 30 Aug 2012 2:51 pm

the lynx wrote:
nutnut 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.
That's for you :P

For me, I'd address you as 'uncle' :P :P :P

:lol:
I'm not as old as Gramps Lynx! I'm still a youngster ;) Cannot call me uncle lah
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the lynx
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Post by the lynx » Thu, 30 Aug 2012 3:00 pm

nutnut wrote:
the lynx wrote:
nutnut 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.
That's for you :P

For me, I'd address you as 'uncle' :P :P :P

:lol:
I'm not as old as Gramps Lynx! I'm still a youngster ;) Cannot call me uncle lah
Trust me, I am that young. Heck, SMS even told me himself that he's old enough to be my gramps. :lol:

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Post by offshoreoildude » Thu, 30 Aug 2012 5:06 pm

Off and On as verbs...

'On the fan please'. 'Off the TV'.

I like it - very short and precise.

'Why so like that?' is another favourite.

Waaargh! as an exclamatory is useful.

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Re: What "Singlish" has crept into your vocabulary

Post by v4jr4 » Thu, 30 Aug 2012 5:17 pm

xandersdad1 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.
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 more :lol: :lol: :lol:
"Budget Expat"

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Post by nutnut » Thu, 30 Aug 2012 6:01 pm

the lynx wrote:
nutnut wrote:
the lynx wrote: That's for you :P

For me, I'd address you as 'uncle' :P :P :P

:lol:
I'm not as old as Gramps Lynx! I'm still a youngster ;) Cannot call me uncle lah
Trust me, I am that young. Heck, SMS even told me himself that he's old enough to be my gramps. :lol:
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 then ;)
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the lynx
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Post by the lynx » Thu, 30 Aug 2012 6:28 pm

nutnut wrote:
the lynx wrote:
nutnut wrote: I'm not as old as Gramps Lynx! I'm still a youngster ;) Cannot call me uncle lah
Trust me, I am that young. Heck, SMS even told me himself that he's old enough to be my gramps. :lol:
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 then ;)
Or 'ah girl' like how other older uncles and aunties would address me :P

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Post by x9200 » Thu, 30 Aug 2012 9:19 pm

nutnut wrote:
the lynx wrote:
nutnut wrote: I'm not as old as Gramps Lynx! I'm still a youngster ;) Cannot call me uncle lah
Trust me, I am that young. Heck, SMS even told me himself that he's old enough to be my gramps. :lol:
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 then ;)
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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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Thu, 30 Aug 2012 10:14 pm

She's actually young enough to be my granddaughter. Doesn't mean she's a child however. Definitely NOT! :cool:

Just says that I'll be 65 on Saturday! :mad: :lol:
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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Post by nutnut » Fri, 31 Aug 2012 8:40 am

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! ;)
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Post by the lynx » Fri, 31 Aug 2012 8:52 am

nutnut 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! ;)
I'm close to a decade younger than you :P

Similarly the Chinese uncles and aunties also use "ah girl", while the Malays would use "adik" or "dik" (little sister).
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?
Good question --- neither. I get those remarks A LOT so never really bother me. I believe SMS can vouch for me in that department.

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