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.
氣腸氣肚 | k’i téng k’i to | aggravating the intestine and stomach | very angry |
踢倒街 | t’at to kue | kick down the road | things so common or task too easy to accomplish |
大小目 | tua su-e bak | big and small eyes | selective justice or double standard |
四角人 | si kak lang | four-corner person | perfectionist |
落落撒 | lak lak seh | everything falling | messy, disarrayed, scattered |