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TV Smith's Dua Sen. The politically incorrect irregular columnist combines
his idiosyncratic observations and tangential commentary into a blog...
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BLUR
SOTONG KENA HANTAM KAU KAU
by
TV Smith
09/05/04
Should we mix it up when it comes to language?
Is borrowing from other languages a way of keeping
a language alive or will the practice corrupt
it beyond recognition? Have a look at TV SMITH’s
(www.mycen.com.my/duasen) examples of mixed messages,
then e-mail us your thoughts at starmag@thestar.co.my.
The current debate on the liberal borrowing
of English words by users of the national language
may be overdue but it is seldom noted that ‘reverse
contamination’ is just as severe. Our own
brand of spoken or colloquial English contains
just as many ‘loan words’ from the Malay
language and other local dialects. However, there
may not be as many complaints, in this case, as
many of these unique slang terms are handy, precise
and often matchless. Here are but a few examples.
Any
lubang?
– any connections or openings (similar to
any jalan)?
Usage:
“I heard there’s a new tender, have
you got any lubang?”
Blur
sotong – a clueless or bungling person.
Usage:
“Don’t rely on him to finish the task,
he’s a real blur sotong.”
Buat
tak tahu – feign ignorance.
Usage:
“I asked him about the loan and he buat tak
tahu only.”
Cabut
– left, disappear or escape depending on
context (past tense: cabutted.)
Usage:
“The minister cabut already.”
Cannot
harap – not dependable.
Usage:
“No point turning to him. He cannot harap
one.”
Damn
chun – accurate, beautiful or desirable
depending on context (Hokkien).
Usage:
“His prediction turned out to be damn chun.”
Damn
jambu – good looking.
Usage:
“The new Miss Malaysia is damn jambu.”
Damn
leceh – very troublesome.
Usage:
“Going shopping with her always damn leceh.”
Damn
malu – extreme embarrassment.
Usage:
“My credit card transaction got rejected,
damn malu man!”
Damn
sian – bored or frustrated (Hokkien).
Usage:
“This holiday I stayed at home and did nothing.
Damn sian.”
Don’t
agak agak – Don’t guess or estimate.
Be precise.
Usage:
“Don’t agak agak or we may end up on
the wrong road.”
Gostan
– Reverse (began as Malay contraction of
the nautical term “go astern”.)
Usage:
“Looks like a dead end. Better gostan your
car now.”
Hantam
kau kau – defeated or beaten (combination
of Malay and Hokkien).
Usage:
“Our football team got hantam kau kau.”
Kaki
– buddy or friend of similar interest.
Usage:
“Daniel is my regular fishing kaki.”
Kau
tim – settled (Cantonese).
Usage:
The damage is quite bad, so I don’t know
whether can kau tim with the driver.”
Kena
ketuk – fleeced.
Usage:
“That fella kena ketuk already. They charged
him RM300 for the miserly meal.”
Koyak
– gone.
Usage:
“My chances with her koyak already.”
Ponteng
work – Skip work or become absent (usually
without permission).
Usage:
“Don’t tell anyone I ponteng work today.”
Real
buaya – A person with an ulterior motive
or wanton desire.
Usage:
“During ‘Ladies Nights’ you can
see all the real buayas at the bar.”
Sure
habis – imminent and definite trouble
or defeat.
Usage:
“If your wife sees you with her, sure habis.”
Tahan
– withstand or endure.
Usage:
“Drive all night where can tahan?”
Tanni
– drink or booze (Tamil for water).
Usage:
“It’s Friday! Let’s go tanni tonight.”
Tumpang
– get a ride or ‘lift’.
Usage:
If you’re going back hometown, can I tumpang
your car?”
Ulu
– backward.
Usage:
“That place we went to very ulu.”
Very
teruk – bad or severe.
Usage:
“The weather today very teruk.”
Wah
lau! – Wow! (Hokkien).
Usage:
“Wah lau! Like that also can.”
This
article also appears in print and online
in today's StarMag (The
Sunday Star).
©
2004 TV SMITH
Link to this article: http://www.tvsmith.net.my/duasen/090504_blursotong.html
Link
to TV Smith's Dua Sen: http://www.tvsmith.net.my/duasen/
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