Discuss about the latest news & interesting topics, real life experience or other out of topic discussions with locals & expatriates in Singapore.
-
therat
- Reporter
![Reporter Reporter]()
- Posts: 937
- Joined: Thu, 04 Sep 2008 2:23 pm
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by therat » Mon, 12 Aug 2013 10:15 am
the lynx wrote:Gostan = Go a stern
I've never thought that I will ever hear that word in Singapore. Not until I took a cab recently. The driver went to a dead-end road and he said, "Oh, wrong place. Must gostan!"
this gostan is not English
It is hock kien. mean reverse, go back, U-turn.
-
katbh
- Reporter
![Reporter Reporter]()
- Posts: 599
- Joined: Thu, 04 Oct 2007 10:01 am
- Location: Singapore
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by katbh » Mon, 12 Aug 2013 10:17 am
Bummer...thought ga'stern was cool
-
the lynx
- Governor
![Governor Governor]()
- Posts: 5281
- Joined: Thu, 09 Dec 2010 6:29 pm
- Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location:
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by the lynx » Mon, 12 Aug 2013 10:24 am
therat wrote:the lynx wrote:Gostan = Go a stern
I've never thought that I will ever hear that word in Singapore. Not until I took a cab recently. The driver went to a dead-end road and he said, "Oh, wrong place. Must gostan!"
this gostan is not English
It is hock kien. mean reverse, go back, U-turn.
Dude, "go a stern" is English. And "gostan" is one of those localised pronunciations, something like what katbh meant. And no, Hokkien uses different word altogether for reverse.
-
Max Headroom
- Reporter
![Reporter Reporter]()
- Posts: 911
- Joined: Wed, 08 May 2013 11:31 am
- Location: Singapore
-
Contact:
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by Max Headroom » Mon, 12 Aug 2013 11:19 am
One quaint local oddity I come across quite frequently is this verb tense reversal. For instance I hear things like "The exact time hasn't been confirm yet, but I will confirmed it soon".
How did that happen?

-
the lynx
- Governor
![Governor Governor]()
- Posts: 5281
- Joined: Thu, 09 Dec 2010 6:29 pm
- Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location: Location:
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by the lynx » Mon, 12 Aug 2013 11:23 am
Max Headroom wrote:One quaint local oddity I come across quite frequently is this verb tense reversal. For instance I hear things like "The exact time hasn't been confirm yet, but I will confirmed it soon".
How did that happen?

Just plain effed up grammar?

-
nakatago
- Moderator
![Moderator Moderator]()
- Posts: 8358
- Joined: Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:23 pm
- Location: Sister Margaret’s School for Wayward Children
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by nakatago » Mon, 12 Aug 2013 11:28 am
PNGMK wrote:Just be grateful they don't call a 10c piece a shilling and the one cent pieces pennies.
They call them tensen and wansen respectively.
"A quokka is what would happen if there was an anime about kangaroos."
-
beppi
- Manager
![Manager Manager]()
- Posts: 1764
- Joined: Thu, 07 Sep 2006 11:15 am
- Location: Ahlongistan (O$P$)
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by beppi » Mon, 12 Aug 2013 3:51 pm
"more better"
"very best"
-
morenangpinay
- Reporter
![Reporter Reporter]()
- Posts: 890
- Joined: Mon, 02 Mar 2009 6:19 pm
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by morenangpinay » Mon, 12 Aug 2013 4:36 pm
they use "Hello!" when they mean excuse me. "hello hello"
-
kookaburrah
- Regular
![Regular Regular]()
- Posts: 141
- Joined: Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:28 am
- Location: SG
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by kookaburrah » Mon, 12 Aug 2013 4:36 pm
The strange plurals, some of them already mentioned: Fats, furnitures, stuffs, luggages, staffs, etc.
The random use of 'borrow' and 'lend'.
-
Wd40
- Director
![Director Director]()
- Posts: 4361
- Joined: Tue, 04 Dec 2012 10:53 am
- Location: SIndiapore
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by Wd40 » Mon, 12 Aug 2013 4:53 pm
PNGMK wrote:BedokAmerican wrote:Some people tend to use the word "dear." Such as "hello dear."
Also, sometimes junk mail is addressed to "dear owner" or "dear resident."
Another colonial hang over.... even in PNG as a kid we were taught to address everything that way - even in jest or malice; 'Dear Mr BedokAmerican - you may be an asswipe, but I'm a douche'.
Just be grateful they don't call a 10c piece a shilling and the one cent pieces pennies.
So the PNG in your nick, is Papua New Guinea is it?

-
Addadude
- Reporter
![Reporter Reporter]()
- Posts: 863
- Joined: Fri, 26 May 2006 12:37 pm
-
Answers: 1
- Location: Darkest Telok Blangah
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by Addadude » Mon, 12 Aug 2013 6:03 pm
Singlish is all about efficiency.
Instead of saying something lengthy and cumbersome like:
"I beg your pardon. I didn't quite understand what you just said. Would you mind repeating it?"
Just say:
"Hah???"
"Both politicians and nappies need to be changed regularly, and for the same reasons."
-
BedokAmerican
- Chatter
![Chatter Chatter]()
- Posts: 436
- Joined: Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:10 pm
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by BedokAmerican » Tue, 13 Aug 2013 10:39 am
"Opening hours" instead of "hours" or "hours of operation." I see this on lots of Sg business web sites.
Opening hours makes it sound like they're just listing when they're open and not when they close.
-
katbh
- Reporter
![Reporter Reporter]()
- Posts: 599
- Joined: Thu, 04 Oct 2007 10:01 am
- Location: Singapore
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by katbh » Tue, 13 Aug 2013 10:47 am
It is so interesting that just about every thing that is mentioned by posters with USA as country of origin (PC), is referring to British rather than Singaporean differences.
'Opening hours' is very normal in most of the world
-
Wd40
- Director
![Director Director]()
- Posts: 4361
- Joined: Tue, 04 Dec 2012 10:53 am
- Location: SIndiapore
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by Wd40 » Tue, 13 Aug 2013 10:57 am
What about floor levels, starting from 1 here instead of Ground Floor, in India?
So 1st Floor in India is actually Level 2 here.
I am not sure how it works in the UK or the US?
-
abbym
- Regular
![Regular Regular]()
- Posts: 63
- Joined: Thu, 01 Aug 2013 3:33 pm
-
Quote
-
0
login to like this post
Post
by abbym » Tue, 13 Aug 2013 11:00 am
Strangely, that is american I think? In the UK you start at ground, then go up to 1,2,3...etc. In north america the ground floor is level 1 if I remember correctly? Someone tell me if I'm wrong please!

-
-
Cheapest SIM card in Singapore for Calls and internet usage
Replies: 8
First post
Hi Everyone,
May be this might be an irrelevant post but I would really like some help.
After searching through internet I got these 3 sim cards...
Last post
How do we know if our phone model supported with VOLTE? Any idea how we can check or how to turn on etc?
Which models are supported is listed on...
- 8 Replies
- 3300 Views
-
Last post by joeyy
Wed, 02 Oct 2019 11:06 am
-
-
Ex singaporean - marrying singaporean
Replies: 5
First post
1. Ex-singaporean;
2. Left Singapore at 8 years old;
3. Never returned to live permanently since the age of 8;
4. Deferred NS to age of 21 on basis...
Last post
1. Ex-singaporean;
2. Left Singapore at 8 years old;
3. Never returned to live permanently since the age of 8;
4. Deferred NS to age of 21 on basis...
- 5 Replies
- 3330 Views
-
Last post by Girl_Next_Door
Fri, 23 Feb 2018 8:25 am
-
-
- 5 Replies
- 2711 Views
-
Last post by Pinningfor2
Sun, 25 Feb 2018 2:18 pm
-
-
Singaporean company requirements
Replies: 3
First post
I work for a corporate secretarial firm in Singapore, just wanted to share some requirements that Singapore private limited companies have.
1) Local...
Last post
Noted, sorry about that!
Please take a look at our advertising rates:
- 3 Replies
- 2708 Views
-
Last post by joop
Tue, 06 Mar 2018 9:49 am
-
-
27 M Singaporean just got back
Recently relocated back to Singapore after spending a few years in Australia studying and then working as a visual effect artist, would love the...
- 0 Replies
- 1872 Views
-
Last post by sonidy
Mon, 12 Mar 2018 1:56 am
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 19 guests