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.
| 個個猛 | kê kê bi-eng | everyone is ferocious |
ridiculously arrogant and feeling self-important. |
|
無主無意 |
bo tsu bo ee | no decision |
undecided, pertaining to one who can’t make up his mind. |
|
貓沙巢 |
niao sua siu | cat moving nest |
describing a person who often move house just like a cat |
|
胡獅狗 |
ho sai kao | bearded dog |
to describe a person who does not care about his appearance. |
|
勇字寫在背上 |
yong di sia ti pa tsia | the word “brave” written on the back |
to describe crude and boorish people who is unable to foresee the consequences of his actions |