In seven plus years, it’s safe to say that Jay’s mastered a little Singlish.
Most days, I do my standard “Engrish” accent, but there are days I just have to let it all go, because I just can’t speak properly anymore.
Jay has had to adapt.
One of the first things he learnt was the kiap-kiap (pictured).
I don’t know what it’s called. I don’t care what it’s called.
I call it the kiap-kiap. Because it kiaps stuff up. “Pass the kiap-kiap please!” “Use the kiap-kiap!”
Other key Singlish we use around the house include Wah Lao (Oh my god), Lah (Singlish tag to end every sentence), Makan (food/eat), Tar Pao (takeout), Dowan (don’t want), Oleng Joo (orange juice), and a singular Dotism that’s not quite Singlish‗sauce” to describe every kind of gravy, dressing, and actual sauce on dishes. As in “Don’t forget the salad sauce.” “Put the brown sauce in the pork.”
It’s a wonder Jay understands me at all.
they’re called tongs, dot.
awwwww so sweet….haha
hey dot. i have my own words too. its called ‘picit-picit’-press-press or known in the english language as the remote control. Ive used it in my family since the tool came to existence, and i hope one day, my ang moh husband will use it too! heheh. the one word that he has learnt like all angmohs should is MAKAN. chris still cannot get over ‘dowan’. heheh i showed him your blog just then and he laughed reading what you call TONGS.
we singaporeans are super creative when it comes to calling things, don’t we?
I love it! I’m not the only one