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.
| 一個剃頭， 一個扳耳 |
tsi ge t’i t’ao, tsi ge ban hee |
one person shaving the hair while another pulling back the ear | too many hands trying to accomplish a simple task |
| 鴨仔落水身就浮 | ah-a lo tsui sin tsiu p’u | drop the duckling in the water and he will float | things will take their own course |
| 搖屎起類搖 | puan t’ang sai kiâ lê iyo | half of bowl of stool shaking | someone who knows very little but to eager to show off |
| 大目新娘找無灶 | tua bak sin niu tse bo tsao | wide-eyed bride cannot find the stove (kitchen) | describing someone who does not notice items in front of him |
| 算算了吃， 毋通吃了算 |
tio suan diao tsia, mm t’ang tsia diao suan |
do the counting before eating, not after you are done eating | plan well before executing |