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.
| 前哭後哭 | tsuin k’ao aw k’ao | crying in front and at the back | lament endlessly to express dissatisfaction |
| 無證無據 | bo tsing bo ku | no evidence | lack of evidence |
| 腳手拉撥架 | k’a tsiu la pua ke | foot and hand stumbling | to describe a clumsy person |
| 粗嘴野斗 | tso tsui ya tau | rough mouth | speaking rudely |
| 賊皮賊骨 | tsat p’e tsat kut | thief skin, thief bone | someone not trustworthy |