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.
| 搧給你坐東看西 | sam ho di tse tang k’ua sai | slap you to seat at east and facing west | slapping you hard to express one’s anger/furious |
| 緊腳捷手 | kin k’a tsiap tsiu | quick feet and hands | to describe someone who run errands without delay |
| 疼疼哭 | t’ian t’ian k’ao | crying pain | keep on or too much complaining |
| 放屁安狗心 | pang p’ui an kao sim | fart to please the dog’s heart | taking measures to provide peace of mind |