Best of Singlish Words and PhrasesPosted on August 21, 2011 by Remember Singapore

Why do our older generations address nurses as bisi? Why do we call someone without roles or assignmentslobo? Find out more

Arrow

Original Meaning: A type of shooting weapon (English)Local Meaning: To order someone to do a task

A term probably first used in the military, it is now frequently used in local context to mean an order beingdirected at someone, like an arrow, to carry out a task, usually against his wishes.

Bao Toh

Original Meaning: Bun knife (Hokkien)Alternate Meaning: To tattle

The phrase also refers to sabotage, to betray secrets or tell on others. The long bun knife is possibly used todescribe the backstabbing.

Bisi

Original Meaning: Young ladies (Missy, English)Local Meaning: Nurses

During the colonial days, young ladies were referred as Missy by the British, probably derived from Miss.

This applied to the young nurses working in hospitals, where the doctors would address them politely as Missyand the local patients, particularly the Malays, would pick it up and call them Misi as well.

The local Chinese, speaking mostly in dialects during that era, might have pronounced it wrongly and called thenurses, young or old, as bisi.

Catch No Ball

Original Meaning: NilLocal Meaning: Dont understand

Singaporeans like to use the phrase catch no ball or liak bo kiu (Hokkien) as a way to express his lack of

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understanding of certain topic.

It is another way of saying: The ball is in my court, but I fail to catch it (It has been explained to me, but I fail tounderstand it).

Calefare

Original Meaning: Free from anxiety or responsibility (carefree, English)Local Meaning: Bit actors/Extras

Referring to bit actors and actresses, this unique local phrase is borrowed from Cantonese term of , whichis possibly derived from English word carefree, since these supporting roles in a film have few lines or littleresponsibilities.

The other meaning could be because these bit actors and actresses are usually provided with meals (curry riceand coffee), hence the Cantonese term.

Chop-chop

Original Meaning: Hurry up (English)Local Meaning: Same as original meaning

Influenced by British seamen, who used chop or chop-up as a way of saying hurried or quick, theCantonese also termed chop-chop as hurry up. The term appeared as early as 1834 in English newspaperarticles in Canton.

When the westerners visited China in the 17th century, they were amazed by the nimbleness of chopsticks, thusthey named them as quick-sticks which in turn became chopsticks.

The local usage of chop-chop goes one step further to become chop-chop kali pok, where kali pok is currypuff and has nothing to do with hurry up except that the rhymes make the whole phrase sounds phonetically,just like song-song gao Jurong (happy-happy arrive at Jurong) or ya-ya papaya (arrogant).

Claypot

Original Meaning: Earthenware pot used for cooking (English)Alternate Meaning: Total loss

While many Singaporeans love claypot rice, the word claypot is intensively borrowed by football punters as aterm for losing everything. It is viewed as a direct opposite of Jackpot, which means winning all.

The logical explanation, other than both words rhyme with each other, is that a claypot breaks into pieces easilyand when that happens, it represents total loss.

Di Gu

Original Meaning: Earthquake (Chinese)Local Meaning: NEA inspector

At the peak of street-hawkers peddling in Singapore during the sixties to seventies, the hygiene was the biggestconcern for the NEA. NEA inspectors would go around the streets to catch unlicensed hawkers, who would befined or had their pushcarts confiscated.

Such chases after the guilty hawkers usually resulted in chaos with toppled pushcarts and knocked-downpassers-by. The scenario was like a rumbling earthquake, thus the inspectors were called di gu in Hokkien (is an ancient Chinese name for earthquake).

The sights of several chasing inspectors were also likened to that of some uncontrolled wild bulls.

Eat Snake

Original Meaning: Skiving (jiak zua, Hokkien)Alternate Meaning: Same as original meaning

Snake is viewed as a lazy animal by the Chinese, hence jiak zua or eat snake refers to the act of skiving.

Go Stun

Original Meaning: Reversing of a boat (go astern, English)Local Meaning: Reversing of any vehicles

Go stun is a corrupted version of the English phrase go astern which means to move a boat backwards fromthe currents or winds.

The local borrowed it and described it to the reversing of any vehicles on the road.

The phrase might have evolved from go astern to go stern and finally go stun.

Goondu

Original Meaning: Marble, nut (gundu in Malay)/Fat, ball, bomb (kuntu in Tamil)Local Meaning: Idiotic

Goondu is a Singlish word, derived either from Malay or Tamil to express something that is hard and heavy,which indirectly suggests a stupid person.

Goondu or guru is occasionally used in Singapore to differentiate between an idiot and an expert.

Jia Lat

Original Meaning: Energy/Strength wasting (eat strength, Hokkien)Local Meaning: In trouble

Originally meant to describe a job or task that consumes a lot of energy or strength, but over the time, it hasevolved to mean in trouble or simply oh no!

Kaki

Original Meaning: Leg (Malay)Alternate Meaning: Buddy

Since leg in Chinese () has the same pronunciation as (, character), the local Chinese borrowed theMalay word to describe partner, buddy or close friend, such as mahjong kaki or lunch kaki.

Kantang

Original Meaning: Potato (kentang, Malay)Alternate Meaning: Westernised Singaporeans

The term kantang is used to mock westernised Singaporeans who converses only in English and cannot speaktheir mother tongues properly.

It is probably derived from the view that potato is a staple food for westerners. Rice, on the other hand, is astaple food for East and Southeast Asians.

However, the actual Malay word for potato is kentang, and kantang is instead adopted by most local Chinese,probably due to mispronunciation.

Karung Guni

Original Meaning: Gunny Sack (Malay)Alternate Meaning: Rag and bone man

In the old days, the rag and bone man used gunny sacks to collect the used newspapers. Since they rarely usegunny sacks nowadays, the term karung guni is used to describe the rag and bone men instead.

Karung guni men, armed with a horn and cart, are familiar sights in public flats, going floors to floors andshouting garung guni, buay bor zua gu sa kor, ley lio dian si kee (rag and bone, buy newspapers and oldclothes, radios and televisions).

Usually they offer a small price to buy the old stuffs from the public.

Kayu

Original Meaning: Wood (Malay)Alternate Meaning: Blockhead/Buck up

Visit any football matches in Singapore and Malaysia and youll like hear some fans screaming referee kayu!.

Kayu is a Malay word for wood, and fans like to criticise the referee as a wooden blockhead whenever hemakes a controversial decision.

Jalan Kayu, which literally means wooden road, has a Chinese translation of (), which itselfmeans to buck up, so referee kayu can also mean asking the stressed referee to buck up.

Kelong

Original Meaning: Offshore platform for fishing (Malay)Alternate Meaning: Match-fixing

Fans in football-crazed countries of Singapore and Malaysia will often describe matches with dubious results askelong. The term kelong is a Malay word which refers to a wooden offshore platform used by fishermen.

Knowing very well that fish will escape in faulty nets, the fishermen will carefully mend their nets before castinginto the sea. Likewise, a bribed football player will attempt to throw the match away, and thus kelong is usedlocally to describe the guilty player or the dubious match.

Kiwi

Original Meaning: New Zealand wingless bird (English)Local Meaning: To polish

Every National Service (NS) personnel will not be unfamiliar with the round polish container he receives inmilitary training. Filled with black boot polish, the black container is easily recognised by a kiwi on its cover.

The trademark brand, established in 1906 by Scottish-Australian manufacturer William Ramsay, has since

become the global brand in shoe polish.

Therefore, the term Kiwi is used locally as a substitute for polish.

Lobang

Original Meaning: Hole (Malay)Alternate Meaning: Opportunity

Originally the Malay word for hole, it is borrowed by the local Chinese to refer to an opportunity, usually inbusinesses or deals. It has been used so intensively that a person with many sources of business opportunities iscalled a lobang king.

Kang tow in Hokkien () is similar to lobang.

Lobo

Original Meaning: Left Out of Battle Order (English)Alternate Meaning: Soldier without assignment/Lazy person

The term lobo is originated from the military, which stands for left out of battle order. It is likely to bederived from LOB, a concept in World War I, which referred to left out of battle. In order to prevent acomplete wipeout by the enemies, the second-in-command and several officers and men were left behind asLOB.

However, the term is now a derogatory term to describe soldiers without posts or assignments, or simply, a lazyperson.

Masak-masak

Original Meaning: Cooking (Malay)Alternate Meaning: Playing toys

Little girls love to pretend to cook with toys utensils, but over the time, masak-masak is generally used todescribe children playing with their toys.

It also can be used as a reference to describe a serious matter, as in this is not masak-masak (this is not a plaything or this is no laughing matter)

Merlion

Original Meaning: Half-lion, half-fish mascot of SingaporeAlternate Meaning: Vomiting

Popularised in recent years, this term is used to describe the vomiting of a drunk person, where his throwing upis similar to that of the water spouting by the Merlion.

On The Ball

Original Meaning: Alert (English)Local Meaning: Hardworking, enthusiastic

The phrase on the ball originated from baseball which it became popular in the 19th century. The batter has tobe alert and keep his eyes on the ball in order to complete a successful strike.

The phrase is now used locally to describe a hardworking or even an over enthusiastic person, especially duringthe military trainings. On is also the short form for on the ball.

Or Bi

Original Meaning: NilLocal Meaning: Deserving (in a mocking way)

Or bi is the short form for or bi good, which means very good in a sarcastic manner.

It is extracted from an old local nursery rhyme or bi good, ang moh jiak choo loot, where ang moh is aCaucasian, jiak is eat or chew and choo loot is cheroot or cigar. It is used to gloat at someones misfortune.

Pakat

Original Meaning: Discussion (Malay)Alternate Meaning: Conspire

It means discussion or an agreement of a plan in Malay, but in Singlish, it is used to describe a conspiracy or aplot with negative aspect.

Pang Buay Ki

Original Meaning: Being stood up (Hong Kong)Local Meaning: Same as original meaning

This phrase ( in Chinese) is similar to , where the former literally means put aeroplane while thelatter means put pigeon. Both refer as being stood up in an appointment or date.

Put aeroplane origins from Hong Kong during its first ever airplane show. The angry audience wasdisappointed after the event was postponed for three days, hence the phrase of being stood up.

As for put pigeon, it was a scam that was popular in old Shanghai, where female scammers would seduce theirvictims and got away with their valuables and belongings.

Pok Gai

Original Meaning: Go to hell (Hong Kong)Local Meaning: Bankrupt

Pok gai is a curse used frequently during quarrels in Hong Kong. The Chinese translation literally meansdie on the street.

This derogatory term, however, is used commonly in Singapore by gamblers as an expression that he has lost alot of money.

Orh Han Tze

Original Meaning: NilLocal Meaning: Mocking at someone who doesnt understand

Han tze, which means sweet potato in Hokkien, is used to mock at a person who doesnt understand a topicbut pretends to understand. When he goes orh, the one mocking at him will reply orh han tze.

Orh sounds like yam in Hokkien, thus sweet potato is used as a counter.

Remisier

Original Meaning: Intermediary (French)Local Meaning: Stockbroker

Although the origin of the word is French, and features in the historical Paris stock exchange, the commonusage of this word now only restricts in the Singapore and Kuala Lumpur stock exchanges.

It first appeared in the rubber and tin trading sectors in Malaya during the colonial days.

Sabo

Original Meaning: Sabotage (English)Local Meaning: Same as original meaning

This English word originates from the French word sabot in the 19th century, which means poor quality workfrom an unskillful worker.

In Singlish, it is shortened to sabo, which can be used in playing a practical joke on others, deliberate harmand damage or intentional obstruction. It is frequently used in the military, and the one who likes to sabo iscalled the sabo king.

Shag

Original Meaning: Sexual intercourse (English)Local Meaning: Tired

Shag is considered an offensive slang for sexual intercourse in British context, whereas in Singapore the wordis being used without containing any sexual meaning. Many, especially military personnel, like to use shag orshagged out to express extreme fatigue.

Shiok

Original Meaning: Great (shauk, Punjabi)Local Meaning: Pleasure

It is one of the most-used local phrases, which can be used to describe anything that provides extreme pleasure,especially food.

Sekali

Original Meaning: Once (Malay)Alternate Meaning: Suddenly and unexpectedly

One of the favourite phrases used by Singaporeans, it is used to describe something that may happenunexpectedly. The term is often accompanied with a word of caution.

Taiko

Original Meaning: Leper (Hokkien)Alternate Meaning: Lucky

Taiko is a Hokkien term to describe the condition of a person with leprosy. As medical advances, the chancesof contracting the disease is lower, thus anyone who suffers from it is deemed extremely unlucky.

Hence, taiko in modern context is a sarcastic way of saying that a person is very lucky.

Talk Cock

Original Meaning: Fanciful story (a cock and bull story, English)Local Meaning: Talk nonsense, rubbish

A cock and bull story was first used in England in the 18th century to describe fanciful stories told in therivaling coaching inns The Cock and The Bull.

Locally, it means talking nonsense. A longer version talk cock sing song refers to get together for a casual chat.

Wa Kao

Original Meaning: My goodness (Hong Kong)Local Meaning: Same as original meaning

Popularised in the mid-nineties by Stephen Chows comedies, this term ( in Chinese translation) describes

displeasure, surprise or heck care.

In local context, it is the same as walao or wapiang.

Wayang

Original Meaning: Theatre, Performance (Javanese)Local Meaning: To pretend in front of others

Although the word originally means Indonesian shadow puppet performance, it is also being used to refer tolocal Chinese opera performance on stage.

In Singlish, wayang has a negative aspect, referring to a person who pretends to be hardworking, or a nice guy,in front of others.

Below is a list of the most common Singlish words and phrases that are influenced by Malay, Hokkien andCantonese. Words with sexual, racist and vulgar meanings are not included from the list. Local food andbeverages, and names of local places are also excluded.

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Published: 21 August 2011

Updated: 01 September 2011

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