Hokkien, on the tongues of Tsinoys, has grown and evolved, taking on a life of its own. Sometimes words simply fail us. With some creativity, Tsinoys have strung together words to form colorful phrases that simply hit the bull’s eye. Here are some expressions unique to Hokkien as favored by Tsinoys.
|
無字無墨 |
bo di bo bak | no words no ink |
meaning no written record |
|
到嘴無到喉 |
kao tsui bo kao aw | reaching the mouth but not the throat |
not being satisfied due to too little food portion |
|
沓沓呑 |
ta ta t’oon | dry swallowing |
eating and swallowing something dry |
|
紅面赤髭 |
ang bin tsia tsiu | red face and moustache |
to describe energetic, vigorous people |
|
白紙黑字 |
pe tsua o di | white paper with black writing |
to describe documented material, as in “everything must be in black and white” |