LEARN SINGLISH AND know Singapore Abbreviations

Word origins

Singlish vocabulary formally takes after British English (in terms of spelling and abbreviations), although naming conventions are in a mix of American and British ones (with American ones on the rise). For instance, local media have "sports pages" (sport in British English) and "soccer coverage" ("soccer"—originally slang for Association football—while used in Britain, is more usually called just "football"). Singlish also uses many words borrowed from Hokkien, the Chinese dialect native to more than 75% of the Chinese in Singapore, and from Malay. In many cases, English words take on the meaning of their Chinese counterparts, resulting in a shift in meaning. It is also taken from Indian words such as "dai" meaning "hey", "goondu" meaning 'idiot" etc. This is most obvious in such cases as "borrow"/"lend", which are functionally equivalent in Singlish and mapped to the same Mandarin word, "借" (jiè), which can mean to lend or to borrow. For example: "Oi, can I borrow your calculator?" / "Hey, can you lend me your calculator?"

Singlish dictionaries and word lists

The Coxford Singlish Dictionary, a light-hearted lexicon of Singlish published in 2002

Singlish vocabulary

A list of Singlish terms and expressions widely used in Singapore is set out below. It is not exhaustive and is meant to provide some representative examples of Singlish usage in Singapore. The origins of the Singlish terms are indicated where possible, and literal translations are provided where necessary.

0–9

Term	Origin	Definition
4D	Singlish	Local 4 digit lottery game run by Singapore Pools.
5Cs	Singlish	Refers to the 5 C's of Singapore (cash, car, credit card, condominium, country club membership).
11B	Singlish	Army official vernacular. Refers to the Singapore Armed Forces Identity Card held by servicemen during their draft. Servicemen's original civilian identity cards before their enlistment are exchanged with these SAF identity cards.

A

Term	Origin	Definition
ABC	English	English (language). Acronym for "American-born Chinese." English-speaking person, i.e. Anglophone Singaporeans. Could also describe when the mentioned subject has western elements or influences.
Abit the	English	To mean a little bit.
Action	English	In this context, the term means that the person being described is arrogant and haughty.
Act Blur	English and Cantonese	To play innocent.
Act Cute	English and Cantonese	A phrase which describes behaving in an exaggeratedly cute or adorable fashion. Can be used as both verb and adjective.
ACBC	English and Hokkien	Acronym for "Act Cute Bo Cute." Phrase which describes somebody attempting to behave in an exaggeratedly cute or adorable fashion. However, they come across more annoying than cute.
Agak-Agak	Malay	An estimate[5]
Agak-Ration	Malay and English	An estimate or estimation.
Ar?	Cantonese and Mandarin	Used within questions and rhetoric where opinions and affirmations are being sought. Originated from the Chinese term "啊".
Ar	Hokkien	Used as either noun or a verb to denote a very cozy, non-sexual relationship with someone that might result in special considerations or leeway not available to anyone else without such a relationship. As in "I ar with the boss because I'm his golf buddy so I can occasionally come to work later without getting into trouble with him." Or "You got ar with him or not?" to inquire as to the status of the relationship between two people. Similar to the American slang expression "having juice with someone."
Ah Beng	Hokkien	A hillbilly, someone with little dress sense. Also used to refer to a gangster[6] The expressions came about because Ah Beng is a common Chinese male name. A transliteration of the Chinese name "阿明" (a-bêng).
Ah Lian	Hokkien	A hillbilly, someone with little dress sense. Also used to refer to a gangster[6] The expressions came about because Ah Lian is a common Chinese female name. A transliteration of the Chinese term "阿莲" (a-lián), female form of Ah Beng,
Ah Long	Cantonese	A transliteration of the Chinese name "阿窿", which is a shortened form of "大耳窿". Slang term for "loanshark".
Ah Qua/Gua	Hokkien	A transvestite, who will often be assumed to be a Thai transsexual. From Hokkien "阿倌 a kuann" (the word "kuann 倌" is a term used to politely refer to a person, usually a bridegroom, or a female).
Ah Tiong	Hokkien	A transliteration of the Hokkien term "阿中" (a-tiong), usually used simply as 'Tiong'. Refers crudely to Chinese nationals.
Ai See	Hokkien	Transliteration of the Hokkien term "爱死" (ài-sí, Mandarin 要死). Used to describe someone on thin ice.
Ai See Buay See	Hokkien	Transliteration of the Hokkien term "爱死袂死" (ài-sí buē-sí, Mandarin 要死不死). Used to describe someone on thin ice.
Ai Tzai	Hokkien	Used in a reassuring manner to calm people down. From Hokkien term "愛在 ài tsāi"- must be firm, calm and solid)
Aiyah	Chinese	Sometimes used as "Aiyoh". Transliteration of the Chinese terms "哎呀" and "哎唷". Chinese equivalent of "Oh No!", "Oh Dear!". Another derivative of the term, Ai-Yoh-Yoh (Chinese: 哎唷唷), was popularized by the Mediacorp drama series Good Morning, Sir!.
Akan Datang	Malay	Means "coming soon", as seen in movie trailers. Used to reassure an impatient person.
Alamak	Malay	Phonetically close to the Chinese term "Oh, my mother!". It expresses shock or surprise.
Amacam	Malay	A contraction of the Malay word "Apa macam", which is used as a greeting, similar to "What's up?".
An Zhua?	Hokkien	Hokkien equivalent of "What's up?." Transliteration of the Hokkien term "按怎" (án-chuáⁿ).
Ang Moh	Hokkien	Literally means "red hair 红毛" (âng-moo). A term for people of Caucasian descent.
Ang Moh Pai	Hokkien	Literally means "red hair faction." From Hokkien term 红毛派" (âng-moo-phài). A pejorative term for a Chinese Singaporean who speaks poor Chinese and usually prefers to speak or often uses a lot of English in a conversation. It can sometimes refer to "westernized Chinese Singaporean."
Ang Pau	Hokkien	Red packet with money to be given on Chinese New Year or during some occasion like wedding, birthday party and so on as a wishes to the receiver. Hokkien transliteration of the Chinese term "红包" (hong bao).
Arbo	Hokkien	Means "What else?" or "How else?". Usually used as an answer to a question with an obvious answer. Transliteration of the Hokkien term "阿無" (á-bô).
Arrow	English	To delegate an unpleasant or boring task to someone. Term derives from the military and government's practice of stamping a tiny arrow next to the name of the person in official documents.
Atas	Malay	Literally means "above". Used to describe a snobbish and arrogant person.
Auntie	English	A generic address for middle aged or elderly woman.[7] It may also refer to a young woman who dresses very unfashionably.
Ayam	Malay	Literally means "chicken". Used to describe someone who is easily intimidated.
Ah Bu Den/Ah Den	Singlish	Obviously; of course. Corruption of the phrase "ah then?"

B

Term	Origin	Definition
Balik Kampong	Malay	Pack up things and go home.
Banana	English	Chinese Singaporean who can only speak English. ‘Yellow on the outside, white on the inside.'
Berak	Malay	It means to poo
Belanja	Malay	To give someone a treat.
Blur	English	Clueless. In a daze, unaware of what is going on.[8]
Bodoh	Malay	Stupid, ignorant.[8]
Boh Gay	Hokkien	Hokkien pronunciation of "无牙" (bô-gê), which literally means "no teeth". Usually used to describe someone with a missing tooth.
Boh Liao	Hokkien	Hokkien pronunciation of "无聊" (bô-liâu), which means "boredom". A slang expression to describe being in a situation of idleness. Also used to describe an act of doing something silly.
Boleh	Malay	Can; possible.
Bo Jio	Hokkien	Never ask me go?
Bo Pien	Hokkien	No choice.
Botak	Malay	Used to describe someone bald. This term inspired the famous Botak Jones in Singapore.[9]
Buay	Hokkien	Hokkien pronunciation of "袂" (buē). Means "cannot".
Buaya	Malay	Literally means "crocodile". Refers to a womanizer or flirt.[10]
Buay Song	Hokkien	Hokkien pronunciation of "袂爽" (buē-sóng, Mandarin: 不爽). Means pissed off and not happy.
Buay Tahan	Hokkien and Malay	Combination of the Hokkien term "buay" and Malay term "tahan". Means "unable to withstand" or colloquially "cannot stand it"
Buay Pai	Hokkien	Hokkien pronunciation of "袂歹" (buē-pháiⁿ, Mandarin: 不错). Literally means "not bad". This is commonly used for food, saying that it isn't very bad or no bad. It can also be applied in people too.

C

Term	Origin	Definition
Chao	Hokkien	Used to refer to foul smells. From Hokkien 臭 (chhàu). It may also be used to describe cheating or playing foul (Jiak Chao) in a game.
Chao Keng	Hokkien	Feigning sickness or injury. Commonly used during National Service to describe recruits who pretend to be unwell to avoid participating in certain activities. Sometimes shortened to Keng.
Chao Mugger	Hokkien	Someone who mugs a lot because he is kiasu.
Char Bor	Hokkien	Girl/Woman. From Hokkien 查某 (cha-bó).
Cheena	Peranakan	A derogatory term used to denote people exhibiting very unpolished behaviour or mannerisms, deriding their Chineseness. Basically to denote the uncultured (from an Anglophone standpoint). See definition for "Ah Beng" and "Ah Lian" in the relevant section.
'Cher (Tcher)	Singlish	Corruption of "teacher".
Chicken Business	English and Cantonese	Direct translation of the Cantonese slang "做雞", which means to prostitute oneself ("chicken" is the slang term for a prostitute).
Chee Ko Pek	Hokkien	Hokkien slang for "pervert" or "dirty old man".
Chim	Hokkien	Hokkien pronunciation of "深", which means "deep". Used to describe something or a situation that is extremely hard to understand or comprehend. Variants include nouns such as chim-inology, chim-ness.
Chin Chai	Hokkien	Hokkien pronunciation of "凊彩" (chhìn-chhái). When applied colloquially, it means "anything" or "whatever". Used in situations when one does not feel like making a decision and wants another to help him/her make a decision. Can also be applied to situations to do something in a half-heartedly manner.
Chio Bu	Hokkien	Hokkien pronunciation of 俏母 (chhiò-bú). Hokkien equivalent of "buxom woman". Used to describe a voluptuous woman but in a degraded manner.
Chinaman	English	A crude term to call immigrants or foreign workers from the PRC.
Chop	Singlish	Refers to stamp or seal.[11] From Malay cap, which is from Hindi छाप ćhāp (stamp).[12]
Chop Chop	English	Used to tell someone to do something fast. As heard in Mission Impossible films.
Chope	Singlish	Slang for reserving a seat.[12] Derived from chop; to leave a mark. Singaporeans have a habit of leaving objects on seats/tables to reserve places (usually tissue packets)
Confirm plus Chop	Singlish	Shortened from "confirm plus guarantee got chop" To mean that you are extremely sure of something (derives from National Service/Military situations where one needs to be absolutely sure about something; guarantee got chop denotes that the action and whatever subsequent paperwork, if any, will be approved). Basically "officially sanctioned."

D

Term	Origin	Definition
Double Confirm	Singlish	Confirm and reconfirm. Used to emphasize the confirmation.Also to emphasize the seriousness of the topic, 'Triple Confirm' is used
Du lan	Singlish	Can mean "very pissed." Can also be used to describe someone who is very picky and who insists on following the rules literally and blindly with no accommodation for circumstances. Literally means "poke dick".
Duh	Singlish	Assertion of certainty, "Of course".

E

Term	Origin	Definition
Eeyer	Unknown	To express disgust.
Eye-Power	English	Sarcastic remark to describe someone who does not contribute in group work and watches while others do the work. The term probably originated from the X-Men character Cyclops from Marvel Comics. It is also often associated with army officers who stand around doing nothing, getting things done by using their eye power and watching their subordinates.
Encik	Malay	Literally means "Mister" in Malay. When used in military context, it is used to address warrant officers in the Singapore Armed Forces.

G

Term	Origin	Definition
Gabra	Singlish	Used to describe confusion or disorganisation.[13]
Gahmen	Singlish	Mispronunciation of the word "government"; the omitted "v" is especially common among people from Chinese-speaking backgrounds. In the modern context, it is used as substitute for the actual word when criticizing the government in written form to prevent possible legal action taken against the writer.
Garang	Malay	Literally means "fierce". Used to describe someone as courageous or enthusiastic.
Ger	Singlish	Corruption of "girl".
Gone-case	English	Means that one's doom is confirmed.
Goondu	Tamil	Tamil equivalent of "idiot".[14]
Gostan	English	Means to reverse or go in the backward direction. Originates from the nautical phrase "go astern".

H

Term	Origin	Definition
Hao Lian	Teochew	Slang term for "boast". From Teochew word “好臉 haon3 liêng2” (love to boast, show off).
Hor Liao	Hokkien	Marked by superiority or distinction
Heng	Hokkien	Hokkien pronunciation of "幸" (hīng), which means to be lucky or fortunate.
Horlan	English	Deliberate mispronunciation of "Holland". Of uncertain origin, the term is used to denote finding oneself in a far-off place, or unexpected consequence, usually unpleasant.

I

Term	Origin	Definition
Ini Macam	Malay	"Like this" Means to be very certain.

J

Term	Origin	Definition
Jerorize	Singlish	To nullify something. Literally, to make ‘zero’.
Jiak	Hokkien	Hokkien pronunciation of the Chinese term "食" (chia̍h), which means to eat.
Jiak Chao	Hokkien	Literally means to eat grass. From Hokkien "食草" (chia̍h chháu). It may refer to being in a situation of having no money for daily expenses (i.e. broke). It may also mean to play foul in a game (slightly different pronunciation).
Jiak Kantang	Hokkien and Malay	Literally means 'eat potato'. Formed by the Hokkien term "Jiak" (eat) and Malay term "Kentang" (potato). It is a pejorative term referring to pompous condescending intellectuals who are slightly more educated about Western cultures. "Eating more potato" means more westernized than being Asian (eating rice). Also refers to someone displaying a western English accent that is not authentic: referring to the sound that one would make while attempting to speak with a mouthful of potato.
Jia Lat	Hokkien	Literally means "sapping strength". Used to describe being in trouble or a terrible situation.
Jibra	Singlish	Corruption of "zebra".
Jilo	Singlish	Corruption of "zero".
Jibai	Hokkien	Vulgar term for the female sexual organ; or the English equivalent of 'cunt'. Also a general negative expletive/interjection in colloquial speech. Alternatively spelled "chee bye", "ci bai", or "chee bai" (abbreviates to "cb" in digital communication).

K

Term	Origin	Definition
Kayu	Malay	Used to hint that soccer matches have been fixed with shouts from fans of "referee kayu" (i.e., that the referee was so blind to foul play from the opposing team by refusing to penalize them that he might as well have been a block of wood). Also used to describe lack of spontaneity or wooden behaviour. (Lit. "wood")
Kampung	Malay	Means "village". Sometimes spelt as "kampong".[15][16]
Kar Chng	Hokkien	Buttocks. From Hokkien 尻川 (kha-chhng).
Kar Pak	Singlish	Parking Lot (Car Park).
Kaypoh	French	Hokkien transliteration of the Chinese slang term "雞婆" (ke-pô), which refers to a busybody.[17] Sometimes abbreviated to "kpo". Also French meaning of "stressed over something"
Kena	Malay	Means to be afflicted with or to suffer from something.[18]
Kena Sai	Malay and Hokkien	A pejorative term in which "kena" means to be afflicted with and "sai" (屎) means "shit". Means to "get into deep shit" or get into deep trouble.
Kilat	Malay	Means "excellent". Commonly used in the military. (Lit. "lightning")
Kiasu	Hokkien	Literally means to be afraid of losing. Transliteration of the Chinese term "惊输".[15][18]
Kiasi	Hokkien	Literally means to be afraid of dying. Used in the same manner as "kiasu". Transliteration of the Chinese term "惊死".
Kiam	Hokkien	Transliteration of the Chinese term "咸" (kiâm) which literally means "salty". Used to describe a stingy person.
Kope	Singlish	Means to take from someone without permission.
Kopitiam	Malay and Hokkien	Literally means "coffee shop". "coffee shop" in Singapore refers to "food centre". From Hokkien 咖啡店 (ka-pi-thìam).
kiam pa	Hokkien	To describing intense distaste for another individual due to his actions or looks.
Ku Ku Jiao	Singlish	Male genitalia (crude). Also "ku ku bird".

L

Term	Origin	Definition
Lah	Singlish	Tagged at the end of a sentence as an exclamation but pronounced differently in questions.[19][20][21] Used mainly at the end of both phrases and sentences. Most speakers prefer "ah" at the end of questions.
La Sai	Singlish	means to "stir shit", or create trouble.
Lan Jiao	Hokkien	Chinese transliteration of "卵鳥" (lān-chiáu). Means guy's private part (crude).
Leh	Singlish	Tagged at the end of a sentence in a similar manner as "lah". Used to emphasize the sentence.
Liao	Hokkien/Chinese	Means "already" or "over", or generally indicates the past tense. Sometimes used as a substitute for the "already" used in Singlish, especially by Chinese-speaking people. Chinese transliteration of 了 (liáo). Sometimes also pronounced as the Mandarin "le" (light tone) by Chinese speakers.
Lim Peh	Hokkien	Chinese transliteration of "恁爸" (lín peh). Literally means "your father". Used to refer to oneself when imposing one's authority on someone.
Lombang	Hokkien/Chinese	Pronounced with a round "o" ("lomh-bang") is from Malay "tumpang" which means "to hitch a ride".

M

Term	Origin	Definition
Mah	Mandarin	Usually tagged at the end of a sentence to seek agreement or argue a point. For example, "Cannot like that, mah."
Macam	Malay	Like; Means to resemble something.
Makan	Malay	To eat.[22]
Mampat	Malay	Tight/firm. Usually referring to a woman's posterior or clothing.
Masak-Masak	Malay	Child's play. "Masak" by itself refers to cooking.
Mata	Malay	Literally means "eye". Used as a reference to the police.
Meh	Cantonese /Chinese	Usually tagged at the end of a negative question to indicate someone is exploiting a possible loophole as in "Mata said cannot park here but I'm parking over there. Cannot, meh?" Or to (somewhat derisively) indicate capabilities heretofore unknown as in "Just because you never see me running, you think I cannot, meh?" From Cantonese word "mēh 咩".
Mati	Malay	Literally means to die. "Die" in the Singapore context means to be doomed.
Merlion	English	To vomit. The merlion is a national icon of Singapore, and there is a very famous merlion statue in Singapore which spouts water from its mouth. This term is normally associated with drunkenness.
Mong Cha Cha	Cantonese	To behave in a "blur" manner and be unaware of what is going on around. From Cantonese word "Mong Cha Cha 幪查查"
Mug	English	To cram (for academic tests). Used interchangeably with/instead of the word "study".

N

Term	Origin	Definition
Ngeow	Hokkien	Literally means "cat". Transliteration of Chinese 貓 (niau). Used to describe someone who is overly meticulous or tries to find fault in everything. Can also be used to refer to someone stingy.[23]
Neh Neh Pok	Hokkien	Commonly used to refer to saying "Ouch, it's very painful!!" or Busticated
Nia	Hokkien	Common used to depict the meaning of "only". It is of a belittling tone.

O

Term	Origin	Definition
Obiang	Unknown	Used to describe someone or something that is desperately out of fashion. Other variations include "orbit".
Orbi	Unknown	May be used as a single term or combined to form "orbi kwek" or "orbi good", which means "serves you right".
ORD	English	Short-form of "Operationally Ready Date", which refers to the date on which a National Serviceman completes his full-time stint of National Service. And what older National Servicemen called their "ROD" or "Run Out Date."
ORD loh	Singlish	Army slang. An exclaim made by servicemen close to completing his two-year mandatory service term in the army to provoke jokingly his counterparts who have yet to see the end of their service terms.
Orh	English	Shortened from okay, meaning yes, understood.
O$P$	Singlish	"Owe Money Pay Money". Used in threats from loan-sharks who would usually scrawl this in markers or spray paint outside debtors' units. From Chinese expression 欠钱还钱.

P

Term	Origin	Definition
Pang Sai	Hokkien	To shit. Chinese transliteration of "放屎" (pàng-sái).
Pang Seh	Hokkien	Hokkien slang for 'to be stood up (at an appointment), or cancelled upon at the last minute'=. Not to be confused with 'pang sai', which means 'to defecate'.
Pak Zamn	Hokkien	Literally means "needle injection". Used to describe something faulty or not usable.
Pariah	Indian/Hindi	Used to describe something unsightly or disgusting. Used to describe the lowest and most unsightly caste (gravediggers and sewerage in Ancient India). In modern times, it is also used to describe something or someone of low quality.
Pasar Malam	Malay	Refers to the night markets.[24][25]
Pai Kia	Hokkien	Hokkien slang for "hooligan" or "gangster". Literally means "bad kid". From Hokkien 歹囝(pháiⁿ-kiáⁿ). Commonly used to scold kids who doesn't appreciate their parents.
Pai Seh	Hokkien	Means to be embarrassed. Usually used as an apology after making an embarrassing mistake. From Hokkien 歹勢 (pháiⁿ-sè).
Pak Tor	Cantonese/Hokkien	Dialect pronunciation of the Chinese slang term "拍拖" (POJ phoh-thua), which means to go on a date. Colloquially refers to general physical intimacy.
Photostat	English	Photocopy.
Pia	Hokkien	To work hard at something, or to rush something (such as homework). From Hokkien word "拼 piànn“
Place	English	A place of residence. For example, "You want to come to my place (house) and sleep over tonight?"
Pon	Malay	Short form of "ponteng". To play truant ("Want pon school today?").
Pok Kai	Cantonese	Means to go broke. Also used to curse people. Lit. "to fall into the street" where the dispossessed are tossed into the street. Not normally used as a general expletive as in Cantonese-speaking societies like Hong Kong.
PRC	English	A Chinese national (abbreviation of "People's Republic of China"). Often used disparagingly.

Q

R

Term	Origin	Definition
Return back	English	To give back. Direct translation from the Chinese phrase.
Revert	English	To reply. Often used in email and text messages.

S

Term	Origin	Definition
Sabo	Singlish	Short form of the English word "Sabotage" with a related meaning of "getting someone else in trouble"
Saman	Malay	Used for traffic summons. (Lit. "to fine/summon")
Sam Seng	Cantonese and Hokkien	or Sam Seng Kia (三牲囝, saⁿ-seng-kiáⁿ) - gangster. From Chinese term 三牲 (Hokkien saⁿ-seng).
Sargen	Singlish	Corruption of "sergeant".
Sakar	Malay	To flatter, to lick one's boots. Derived from Malay meaning 'sugar', which may have been derived from Hindi 'sakar' or 'Sakkar' meaning 'sugar' and 'sweet words', and ultimately from Persian 'shakar' meaning 'sugar', 'sweet'.
Sekali	Malay	Pronounced SCAR-ly. Lest, what if.
Send	Singlish	To bring someone somewhere "I will send you to the airport".
Shiok	Punjabi	Great! An expression of satisfaction. Originally "shauk" in Punjabi.
Showflat	English	An event held by an estate agency that spans several weeks to promote a housing project, usually condominiums.
Sia	Malay	An exclamation.
Siam	Hokkien	"Get out of the way!" Considered rude but effective. From Hokkien term 閃 (siám).
Sian/Sien	Hokkien	Bored, tired, or sick of something.[26] From Hokkien (siān).[27]
Siao	Hokkien	Refers to either "crazy" in response to a silly suggestion or an offensive term used to address a friend. From Hokkien word "siáu 痟". Also refers to somebody who is a fanatic. "He Siao bicycles" is saying that someone is crazy about bicycles.
Sibeh	Teochew/Hokkien	Similar to "very". Originated from Teochew word 死爸 (si2-bê6) (literally a curse vulgar word meaning "dead father"). Interchangeably used in Singaporean Hokkien and Singlish.
Si Mi	Hokkien	"What?" From Hokkien term 甚物 (sím-mi̍h). Mandarin equivalent of 什么.
Si Mi Lan Jiao	Hokkien	A much more derogatory term of "What's up?" Literally means "What's up dickhead?"
Si Mi Tai Dzi	Hokkien	"Si Mi" is translated from Chinese's "什么" and means "What" and when added to "Tai Dzi", it means "What's up?"
Sod	Cantonese, English	Used to express a machine, person, or object that has gone mental or haywire. Localization of the word "short" from English term "short circuit".
Song	Hokkien, Cantonese	Used to express pleasure. Lit. "refreshing". From Hokkien/Cantonese 爽 (sóng). Same meaning as Shiok.
Sotong	Malay	Forgetful or not knowing what is going on. Lit. "squid". Spineless or without principles, like the cuttlefish.
Spoil	Singlish	Broken down.
Stay	Singlish	Live (reside) "I stay in Ang Mo Kio". Direct translation from the Malay tinggal.
Stun	Singlish	To steal. See: Cope. Can be used as part of "Gostan". See: Gostan
swaku	Hokkien	Not well informed or backward; a country bumpkin. From Hokkien 山龟 (soaⁿ-ku; lit. "mountain tortoise").
Suay	Hokkien	Unlucky.[28] From Hokkien 衰 (soe).

T

Term	Origin	Definition
Ta Pau	Cantonese	Take away (used only when cooked food is concerned). From the Cantonese word "Da Bao打包"
Tak Boleh	Malay	Cannot
Tak Boleh Tahan	Malay / Hokkien	Literally means, cannot endure. Used when someone is suffering from pain, or when you couldn't wait upon something.
Tau Pok	Chinese	Literally means 'fried tofu'. By students who throw themselves on one another in a pile, usually for fun or to bully. Special cases with vertical tau pok where a person gets squashed against a vertical object, found in MRTs on a crowded day.
Tai Ko (also spelled "tyco")	Hokkien	Lucky (only used sarcastically). Literally "leper".
Talk Cock/Tok Kok	Singlish	Talking nonsense/senselessly or engage in idle banter. Probably originated from the English expression "cock and bull story".
Tekan	Malay	Bully/Torture/Put under pressure. Military slang for punishments.
Terbalek/Tombalek	Malay	Opposite/Upside-Down/Inside-Out.
Thiam/Diam	Hokkien/Malay	If used as an imperative, a very rude way of saying "shut up!" But it literally means "quiet" and can be used as in "Doing guard duty on holidays is very sian but also very diam since nobody is here."
Tio	Hokkien	To get. Usually used as a verb: "He tio scolded by teacher." Or to accurately choose something: "He always play 4D and this time he tio so he won big jackpot." From the Hokkien word 著 "tio̍h", equivalent to Mandarin 中 "zhong4".
Toot	Singlish	Stupid/silly [person].
Tahan	Malay	Handle/tolerate, commonly used as 'I cannot tahan' meaning 'I can't bear it".

U

Term	Origin	Definition
Un	Unknown	Abbreviation for understand.
Understooded	English	Corruption of understood.
Ulu	Malay	Used to describe a rural or remote area or country bumpkin.[29] Commonly found in road names around Singapore as well.
Uncle	Singlish	Used as a generic title for males who are middle-aged or older, especially those who are not well acquainted.[30] Similarly to auntie, used by young children to denote respect for a female adult Also used to describe a younger person who behaves/dresses in an uncool/unfashionable manner.

V

Term	Origin	Definition
Very the	Singlish	Singlish phrase emphasising 'very', directly transliterated from the Chinese 非常的 (fēi cháng de), which means the same. Usually employed with a clearly sarcastic tone.

W

Term	Origin	Definition
Walao/Wah Piang/Wah Seh/Wah Kao	Hokkien	Exclamation of shock. Wah Seh is from Hokkien word "WaSeh哇塞"
White Horse	English	The son of a government official or other influential person. Term derives from the military practice of identifying such individuals during Basic Military Training with a stamp of a horse.[citation needed]
Womit	Singlish	Mispronunciation of "vomit".

X

Term	Origin	Definition
Xia Lan	Hokkien	Arrogant; egoistic; pretentious.
Xia Suay	Hokkien	Disgrace; embarrassment.

Y

Term	Origin	Definition
Your Head	Singlish	Mild curse used to disabuse someone of his or her erroneous assumption. Directly transliterated from Chinese "你的头".
Yandao	Hokkien	A handsome male. Transliteration of Hokkien term "緣投" (iân-tâu).

Z

Term	Origin	Definition
Zai	Hokkien	to be very good in something. From Hokkien 才 （tsâi）.
Zhun	Hokkien	Means accurate. From Hokkien 準 (chún).
Zhun Bo	Hokkien	From Hokkien 準無 (chún-bô). Literally means accurate or not. Means "Are you sure or not?"
Zi siao	Hokkien	means to disturb, ridicule or tease. From Hokkien term 恥笑 (thí-siâu).

Food and beverages

See also: Cuisine of Singapore

Singlish is prominently used in local coffee shops, or kopitiams (the word is obtained by combining the Malay word for coffee and the Hokkien word for shop), and other eateries. Local names of many food and drink items have become Singlish and consist of words from different languages and are indicative of the multi-racial society in Singapore. For example, teh is the Malay word for tea which itself originated from Hokkien, peng is the Hokkien word for ice, kosong is the Malay word for zero to indicate no sugar, and C refers to Carnation, a brand of evaporated milk.

Food

Names of common local dishes in Singapore hawker centres are usually referred to in local dialect or language. However, as there are no English words for certain food items, the dialect terms used for them have slowly evolved into part of the Singlish vocabulary. Ordering in Singlish is widely understood by the hawkers. Some examples of food items which have become part of Singlish:

Term	Origin	Definition
Char Kway Teow	(Hokkien)	Fried flat rice noodles with bean sprouts, Chinese sausages, eggs and cockles, in black sweet sauce, with or without chilli.
Chwee Kuay	(Hokkien; 水粿)	cup shaped steamed rice flour cakes topped with preserved vegetables (usually radish) and served with or without chilli
Hokkien char mee	(Hokkien/Fujian fried noodles; 福建炒麺)	Refers to the Kuala Lumpur Hokkien noodle. It is a dish of thick yellow noodles braised in thick dark soy sauce with pork, squid, fish cake and cabbage as the main ingredients and cubes of pork fat fried until crispy.
Hokkien hae mee	(Hokkien/Fujian prawn noodles; 福建蝦麺)	Refers to either the Penang prawn noodle or Singapore prawn noodle. Soup based (Penang) and stir fried (Singapore). Egg noodles and rice noodles with no dark soya sauce used.Prawn is the main ingredient with slices of chicken or pork, squid and fish cake. Kang Kong (water spinach) is common in the Penang version
Ice Kachang		Crushed ice with flavoured liquids poured into them. Beans and jelly are usually added as well.
Kaya	(Malay)	Local jam mixture made of coconut, sugar and egg of Straits Chinese origins
Roti-Kaya	(Malay)	Toasted bread with Kaya
Mee Goreng	(Chinese/Malay)	Malay fried noodles
Otah	(Malay)	Fish paste wrapped in banana leaf or coconut leaves and cooked over a charcoal fire. South East Asian influence - you can find similar versions in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia
Popiah	(Hokkien)	Chinese spring rolls (non fried). Various condiments and vegetables wrapped in a flour skin with sweet flour sauce. Condiments can be varied, but the common ones include turnip, bamboo shoots, lettuce, Chinese sausage, prawns, bean sprouts, garlic and peanut. Origins from China. Hokkien and Straits Chinese (Nonya) popiah are the main versions.
Rojak	(Malay)	local salad of Malay origins. Mixture of sliced cucumber, pineapple, turnip, dried beancurd, Chinese doughsticks, bean sprouts with prawn paste, sugar, lotus buds and assam (tamarind).
Roti John	(Malay/English)	Indian version of western hamburger consisting of two halves of French loaves fried with egg and minced beef/mutton. Colonial origins.
Tze Char	(Hokkien; 煮炒, POJ chí-chhá)	Literally means cook and fry. General term for food served by mini restaurants in local hawker stalls serving restaurant style Chinese dishes, like fried noodles, sweet and sour pork, claypot tofu etc.

Beverages

Types of tea

Term	Origin	Definition
Teh	(Hokkien/Malay)	Tea (from Hokkien word "茶 tê“）
Teh-O	(Hokkien)	Tea without milk but instead with sugar. From Hokkien 茶烏 (tê-o) (literally means "black tea")
Teh-O-ice-limau	(Hokkien-English-Malay)	Home brewed iced lemon tea
Teh-C	(Hokkien/Malay-Roman alphabet)	Tea with evaporated milk. The C refers to the Carnation brand of evaporated milk.
Teh-cino	(Hokkien/Roman alphabet)	Milk layered with tea on top (similar to latte macchiato), though its name hints towards a tea version of cappuccino.
Teh-Peng	(Hokkien)	Tea with ice. From Hokkien 茶冰 (tê-peng).
Teh-Poh	(Hokkien)	Weak or thin tea. From Hokkien 茶薄 （tê-po̍h）.
Teh-kosong		Plain Tea.
Teh-kah-dai	Hokkien/Cantonese	Tea with milk and more sugar. From Hokkien-Cantonese 茶加底 （tê gaa1 dai2）
Teh-siu-dai	Hokkien/Cantonese	Tea with milk but less sugar. From Hokkien-Cantonese 茶少底 （tê siu2 dai2)
Teh-pua seo	Hokkien	Luke-Warmed tea. From Hokkien 茶半燒 (tê puànn-sio）
Teh-O-kah-dai	Hokkien/Cantonese	Tea with more sugar.
Teh-O-siu-dai	Hokkien/Cantonese	Tea with less sugar
Teh-C-kah-dai	Hokkien/Cantonese	Tea with more milk.
Teh-C-siu-dai	Hokkien/Cantonese	Tea with less milk.
Teh-packet or Teh-pao	Hokkien	Tea to go. From Hokkien 茶包 (tê pau）
Teh-Tarik	Hokkien/Malay	'Pulled' tea with milk, a Malay specialty.
Teh-Halia		Tea with ginger extract.
Teh-Halia Tarik		Pulled tea with milk (tarik) and Ginger

Types of coffee

These were said in these way when Singapore was with Malaysia, and Singaporeans need to learn these to get their coffee and tea correct.

Term	Origin	Definition
Kopi	Malay/Hokkien	(Hokkien/Malay) Coffee. Originated from Hokkien word 咖啡 (ka-pi）
Kopi-O	Malay/Hokkien	Coffee without milk. From Hokkien 咖啡烏 (ka-pi-o) [literally "black coffee"]
Kopi-C	Malay/Romanized word	Coffee with evaporated milk. The C refers to the Carnation brand of evaporated milk.
Kopi-Peng	Malay/Hokkien	(Hokkien) Coffee with ice. From Hokkien 咖啡冰 (ka-pi-peng).
Kopi-packet or Kopi-pao	Malay/Hokkien	Coffee to go. From Hokkien 咖啡包 (ka-pi-pau)
Kopi-pua seo	Malay/Hokkien	Luke-Warmed coffee. From Hokkien 咖啡半燒 (ka-pi-pua-sio)
Kopi-gao	Malay/Hokkien	Thick coffee. From Hokkien 咖啡厚(ka-pi kāu)
Kopi-poh	Malay/Hokkien	Weak or thin coffee. From Hokkien 咖啡薄 (ka-pi-poh)
Kopi-kosong		Plain coffee.
Kopi-kah-dai	Malay/Cantonese	Coffee with more sugar.
Kopi-siu-dai	Malay/Cantonese	Coffee with less sugar.

Other beverages

Term	Origin	Definition
Bandung	(Malay)	Rose syrup-milk drink, of Indian origins. (Goat's milk was used in the old days)
Ice kosong	(English-Malay)	Iced water
Horlick-dinosaur		Iced Horlicks with extra scoop of Horlicks powder on top
Horlick-sio		Hot Horlicks
Horlick-peng		Iced Horlicks
Milo-sio		Hot Milo.
Milo-dinosaur		Iced Milo with extra scoop of undissolved Milo powder on top
Milo-Peng		Iced Milo
Tak Kiu	(Hokkien;	literally means football or soccer) Milo; Nestlé Milo often uses soccer and other sports as the theme of its advertisement.
Tak Kiu-Peng		Iced Milo
Tiau Herr	(Hokkien; literally means fishing)	Tea with the tea bag. Reference to dipping of tea bag. From Hokkien 釣魚 (tiò-hî).

The above list is not complete; for example, one can add the "-peng" suffix (meaning "iced") to form other variations such as Teh-C-peng (tea with evaporated milk and ice) which is a popular drink considering Singapore's warm weather.

English words with different meanings in Singlish

Word	Meaning	Example/comment
follow	- to come along/accompany[31]	"Can follow anot?"
having here	to eat in at a restaurant	The antonym is "take away" or "tah-bao". Used by fast-food restaurant counter staff as in, "Having here or take away?" (Are you eating in here or do you want to have it for take-away?)
help, lah	please, do lend me a hand by desisting from whatever it is you are doing; help me out here	"Help lah, stop hitting on my sister"
last time	previously, in the past[32]	"I last time want to go Africa, but now don't know 'ready."[33]
lightbulb	to be caught in a situation between a couple.	"you two go ahead lah I don't want to be lightbulb."
mug	to study	Derived from British 'mug up'. Common expression amongst all students. Instead of 'He's mugging up...', locally used as 'He's mugging for...' (Not to be
marketing	going to the market or shops to buy food	Rare expression."My dad may help in the marketing side, by going to the market to get some things."[34]
never	did not	"you never tell me"
next time	in the future	"Next time when you get married, you'll know how to cook."[33]
on, off	to switch on/off	"I on the TV"
on ah	It's settled then?
open	to turn on something	"I open the light."[35] (Derived from Chinese, which uses the verb "to open" in this manner. Use of "open" to mean "turn on" is limited to electric appliances.)
pass up	to hand in	"Pass up your homework". Although once common, usage is now discouraged in schools.
revert	to get back (commonly used in business emails)	"Please revert your decision to us" doesn't mean "Please change your decision", but rather "Please get back to us with your decision".
send	to take (i.e. drive) somebody somewhere	"She gets her maid to send the boy in a cab."[36]
solid/steady	capable; excellent	"Solid sia, that movie." See also "Kilat"
sabo	to play a trick on someone	Short for "sabotage", but with an everyday usage.[37] - "Because he sabo me, now boss mad at me!"
stay	to live (in a place).[38]	From Malay "tinggal". - "My grandmother, my aunt and uncle also stay next door."[34]
steady	attached (in relationships) OR agreeing over something, usually over an appointment	"Eh u two steady liao ah?", "Today, come 3 o'clock? Steady." - cool, capable (to praise integrity or strength) - "Wa you sick also turn up for work ah? Steady!"
stone	to space out; to do nothing	- BAKED
take	to eat; to have a meal[39]	"Have you taken your lunch? I don't take pork." tok kok - (talk cock) - Probably from the English "cock and bull story". Talking senselessly/rubbish; "Don't tok kok lah!"

Expressions

Term	Definition
Blur like sotong	literally blur like a squid. To be extremely clueless. Squids squirt ink as a self-defence mechanism to get away. The ink makes it hard to see, thus "blur". - "Wah! You damn blur leh! Liddat also dunno!"
Don't fly my kite/aeroplane	Rare expression. A Singlish expression which means 'Please do not go back on your word' or 'Please do not stand me up'
Don't play play!	Uncommon expression, popularised by the local comedy series Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd. Used only to evoke humour. Means 'Don't fool around' or 'Better take things seriously'
Got problem ah?	an aggressive, instigatory challenge. Or an expression of annoyance when someone is disturbed. 'Do you have a problem?'
He still small boy one	a remark (Often offensive) made against someone who is not of a legally median age allowed by the law. Or expression used to excuse someone because he is either immature or still too young to know the difference.
Issit/Izzit?	Abbreviated form of "is it?" used as a standard tag question. E.g.: You going home now issit? E.g.: You not going home issit? E.g.: Someone comments: "You look good today." Answer: "Issit??"
Last time policemen wear shorts!	a retort made to someone who refers to how policies were made in the past. Or in response to something which is passe. Or to brush aside old references or nostalgia. Direct reference to the British colonial police forces who wore three-quarter khaki pants in the 1950s and 60's.
Liddat oso can!?	(English - Like that also can?) In response to feats of achievement or actions which are almost impossible, or unexpected. Usually with tinge of awe, sarcasm or scepticism.
My England not powderful!	(English - My English is not powerful (good)) Uncommon expression, used only to evoke humour. Literally means 'My English is not good'.
no prawn fish oso can	accepting a lesser alternative (From the Hokkien idiom "bo hay hir mah hoh." literally translates as "no prawns, fish also ok" -)
Not happy, talk outside!	Used as a challenge to a fight to settle an argument, by taking it outside. (Hokkien: Ow buay gong (settle it at the back/alley way))
No horse run!	(Hokkien - 無馬走, POJ bô bé cháu) Original Hokkien expression used in horse racing jargon to describe a champion horse which is way ahead of the field. Used to describe things (food usually) which are ahead of its peers.
On lah!/On!/Set!	"It's on!"; expression used to voice enthusiastic agreement or confirmation (of an arranged meeting, event etc.)
Relak lah!	(Malay-English for Relax) Expression used to ask someone to chill, cool it. 'Relak one corner' means to skive, or to literally go chill out in one corner.
..then you know!	Expression used at the back of a sentence to emphasise consequence of not heeding advice. 'Tell you not to park double yellow line, kena summon then you know!'
Why you so liddat ar?	(English - Why are you so "like that"?) 'an appeal made to someone who is being unreasonable.'
You think, I thought, who confirm?	army expression used during organisational foul ups. Generally used as a response to "I thought..." when something goes wrong.
You want 10 cent?	Means to "buzz off!" Refers to public phones that require 10 cents per call.
Your grandfather's place/road ah?, Your father own this place/road?	Used to cut someone down to size in terms of their obnoxious boorish behaviour, behaving as if they owned the place.
You play where one?	Used to challenge someone to state his gang affiliations (if any)

Clippings, in which a shortened form of a word occurs. Common clippings in Singapore are: air-con (from "air-conditioner"),[1] condo (from "condominium"),[2] sabo (from "sabotage"),[3] and cert (from "certificate").[4] Acronyms, in which the initial letters are formed into a single word, such as scuba, which is derived from "self-contained underwater breathing apparatus". Creation of acronyms such as this is rare in Singapore English, though TIBS (pron.: /ˈtɪbz/, "Trans-Island Bus Service") and CISCO (pron.: /ˈsɪskoʊ/, "Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation") are found.[5] Initialisms, in which the individual letters are spelled out. This is by far the most common category in Singapore, including PAP ("People's Action Party") and PIE ("Pan-Island Expressway"), which are pronounced /ˌpiː ˌeɪ ˈpiː/ and /ˌpiː ˌaɪ ˈiː/ respectively and never */ˈpæp/ and */ˈpaɪ/. Some analysts regard initialisms such as these as one kind of acronym,[6] but others prefer to distinguish between the two categories.[7] Initialisms are extremely common in Singapore, and many have become better known and more widely used than the full form of the words they represent. One example is the Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital, which is more commonly referred to as KK. The most important category of Singapore initialisms are those for government departments and public institutions. Among the earliest examples are PUB ("Public Utilities Board") and HDB ("Housing Development Board"). Abbreviations such as these were especially important in the past when most Singaporeans were not educated in English, and their use facilitated communication in the public services where the main administrative language is English. Government departments have therefore promoted the use of these initialisms, so they occur even in non-English publications. Although the younger generation of Singaporeans are now all educated in English, abbreviations remain a major characteristic of Singapore English. There are efforts to maintain some consistency among the initialisms. Three letters are used for government institutions (PUB, HDB, CPF, MOH, CWO) and for expressways (AYE, PIE, KJE), while two letters are used for polytechnics (SP, RP). To maintain this consistency, some abbreviations are not direct initials; for example CTE is used for "Central Expressway" instead of *CE, and NP is used for "Ngee Ann Polytechnic" instead of *NAP. When the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) was established in 1991, the name was chosen instead of the alternative "Nanyang University of Technology" because the latter would have resulted in the unsuitable NUT. While Anderson Secondary School has shortened its name to ANDSS instead of ASS. Recently, there have emerged a number of unconventional abbreviations, such as A*Star for Agency for Science, Technology and Research.) When SAFTI (Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute) was reorganised in 1995, it acquired the name SAFTI Military Institute, further abbreviated as SAFTI MI, which when fully expanded would form a rather awkward title Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute Military Institute. Abbreviations 0–9 4D - 4-Digits, a Singapore lottery 5 C's - 5 C's of Singapore: Cash, Car, Credit card, Condominium, Country club A A*Star - Agency for Science, Technology and Research AA - Asian Aerospace ACS (J) - Anglo-Chinese Junior School ACM - Asian Civilisations Museum ACPS - Anglo-Chinese Primary School ACS - Anglo-Chinese School ACS(I) - Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) ACSS - Anglo-Chinese Secondary School ACJC - Anglo-Chinese Junior College A & G - Allen & Gledhill, a law firm AG - Attorney-General AGC - Attorney-General's Chambers AHS - Anglican High School AISS - Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School, Australian International School Singapore AJ - (pig-latin slang) Gay (typically male) AJC - Anderson Junior College AMK - Ang Mo Kio AMP - Association of Muslim Professionals APP - Assistant Public Prosecutor (see also "DPP" and "PP") APPLES - Application for Passport On-line Electronic System AR - Assistant Registrar of the Supreme Court of Singapore AWARE - Association of Women for Action and Research AYE - Ayer Rajah Expressway B BCA - Building and Construction Authority BBDC - Bukit Batok Driving Centre BGR - (slang) boy-girl relationship BKE - Bukit Timah Expressway BMT - Basic Military Training BPLRT - Bukit Panjang LRT Line BPT - Basic Police Training BPJ - Bukit Panjang BRT - Basic Rescue Training BTT - Basic Theory Test BTO - Built To Order BPGHS - Bukit Panjang Government High School C CAAS - Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore CBD - Central Business District CBPU - Central Building Plan Unit CCA - Co-curricular activity CCC - Chinese Chamber of Commerce; Citizen's Consultative Committee CCK - Choa Chu Kang CCL - Circle MRT Line CDAC - Chinese Development Assistance Council CDC - Community Development Council CEPAS - Contactless e-Purse Application System CHIJ - Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus CHS - Catholic High School, Singapore CNB - Central Narcotics Bureau CID - Criminal Investigation Department CIP - Community Involvement Project CJ - Chief Justice CJC - Catholic Junior College COE - Certificate of Entitlement CPF - Central Provident Fund CPIB - Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau CTE - Central Expressway CWO - Corrective Work Order D D & D - Dinner & Dance, a function usually organised annually by companies D & N - Drew & Napier LLC, a law firm DART - Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team DBS - Development Bank of Singapore (now known as DBS Bank) DBSS - Design, Build and Sell Scheme DHS - Dunman High School DJ - District Judge DPP - Deputy Public Prosecutor (see also "APP" and "PP") DR - Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court or the Subordinate Courts of Singapore DSO - Defence Science Organisation DSTA - Defence Science and Technology Agency (/ˈdɛstə/) DTL - Downtown MRT Line E ECP - East Coast Parkway EDB - Economic Development Board eGAP - eGovernment Action Plan ERP - Electronic Road Pricing ERL - Eastern Region MRT Line EWL - East West MRT Line F FAS - Financial Assistance Scheme FAS - Football Association of Singapore FTT - Final Theory Test FT - Foreign Talent G GAD - Go and Die GBTB - Gardens By The Bay GCE - General Certificate of Education GCT - Goh Chok Tong GEP - Gifted Education Programme GRC - Group representation constituency GST - Goods and Services Tax GV - Golden Village H HCI - Hwa Chong Institution HDB - Housing Development Board HPB - Health Promotion Board HSA - Health Sciences Authority I IC - Identity card, or In charge ICA - Immigration & Checkpoints Authority IDA - Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore IP - Integrated Programme IR - Integrated Resort IRO - Inter-Religious Organisation of Singapore ISA - Internal Security Act ISD - Internal Security Department ITE - Institute of Technical Education J J - Judge (plural: JJ) J8 - Junction 8 Shopping Centre JA - Judge of Appeal (plural: JJA) JB - Johor Bahru JC - Judicial Commissioner or Junior College JBJ - Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam JEMP - Jurong East Modification Project JJC - Jurong Junior College JTC - Jurong Town Corporation (now known as JTC Corporation) K KIV - Keep In View; refers to items, documents or papers that should be kept around for later consideration KJE - Kranji Expressway KK - Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital KL - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia KPE - Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway L LHL - Lee Hsien Loong LKY - Lee Kuan Yew LRT - Light Rapid Transit LTA - Land Transport Authority M MAS - Monetary Authority of Singapore MBS - Marina Bay Sands MC - Medical Certificate MCD - Ministry of Community Development (now MCYS) MCE - Marina Coastal Expressway MCS - Methodist Church in Singapore MCYS - Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (Singapore) MDA - Media Development Authority MENDAKI - Yayasan MENDAKI (formerly the Council for the Education of Muslim Children, now the Council for the Development of Singapore Muslim Community) MGS - Methodist Girls' School MJC - Meridian Junior College MICA - Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (Singapore) MITA - Ministry of Information and the Arts (now MICA) MINDEF - Ministry of Defence (Singapore) MOE - Ministry of Education (Singapore) MOH - Ministry of Health (Singapore) MOM - Ministry of Manpower (Singapore) MRT - Mass Rapid Transit MSL - Marsiling Secondary School MUIS - Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (Islamic Religious Council of Singapore) N A road sign outside the campus of the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), from Singapore English (2007) by David Deterding. NAFA - Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts NAS - National Archives of Singapore NCC - National Cadet Corps (Singapore) NCDCC - National Civil Defence Cadet Corps (Singapore) NCMP - Non-constituency Member of Parliament NCS - National Computer Systems NCSS - National Council of Social Service NDP - National Day Parade NEA - National Environment Agency NEL - North East MRT Line NETS - Network for Electronic Transfers NIE - National Institute of Education NJC - National Junior College NKF - National Kidney Foundation Singapore NLB - National Library Board NMP - Nominated Member of Parliament NMS - National Museum of Singapore NP - Ngee Ann Polytechnic NPARKS - National Parks Board NPCC - National Police Cadet Corps NRIC - National Registration Identity Card NS - National Service in Singapore NSE - North-South Expressway (Singapore) NSF - Full-time National Service NSL - North South MRT Line NSTB - National Science and Technology Board NTC - National Technical Certificate NTPS - New Town Primary School NTU - Nanyang Technological University NTUC - National Trade Union Congress NUH - National University Hospital NUS - National University of Singapore NUSHS - National University of Singapore High School of Mathematics and Science NWC - National Wages Council NYGH - Nanyang Girls' High School NYK - Nanyang Kindergarten NYP - Nanyang Polytechnic NYPS - Nanyang Primary School NYJC - Nanyang Junior College O OB - Out of Bounds (see OB marker) OBS - Outward Bound School OCBC - Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation OCS - Officer Cadet School (Singapore) ORD - Operationally Ready Date, refers to the date on which a National Serviceman completes his 2-year term of service. OSS - Outram Secondary School OUB - Overseas Union Bank O$P$ - owe money, pay money – used in loan sharks' harassing graffiti. P PA - People's Association PAP - People's Action Party PCK - Phua Chu Kang, a popular TV sitcom PE - Physical Education PGLRT - Punggol LRT Line PHS - Presbyterian High School PIE - Pan Island Expressway PJC - Pioneer Junior College PLU - People Like Us, a gay equality lobby group POSB - Post Office Savings Bank (now POSBank) PP - Public Prosecutor (see also "APP" and "DPP") PROGRESS - Providing Opportunities through Growth, Remaking Singapore for Success PSA - Port of Singapore Authority (now PSA International) PSC - Public Service Commission PSLE - Primary School Leaving Examination PUB - Public Utilities Board PWD - Public Works Department PR - Permanent resident PT - Practical Test; Physical Training PDL - Provisional Driving Licence Q QDL - Qualified Driving Licence R R & T - Rajah & Tann, a law firm RC - Residents' Committee RCS - Radio Corporation of Singapore RGPS - Raffles Girls' Primary School RGS - Raffles Girls' School RI - Raffles Institution RJ or RJC - Raffles Junior College ROM - Registry of Marriages RP - Republic Polytechnic RSAF - Republic of Singapore Air Force RSN - Republic of Singapore Navy RWS - Resorts World Sentosa RVHS - River Valley High School, Singapore S SAF - Singapore Armed Forces SAFRA - SAFRA National Service Association SAIL - Strategies for Active and Independent Learning SAJC - St Andrew's Junior College SAL - Singapore Academy of Law SAM - Singapore Art Museum SANA - Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association SAP - Special Assistance Plan SAR - Senior Assistant Registrar of the Supreme Court of Singapore SAS - Singapore American School SAWL - Singapore Association of Women Lawyers SBST - SBS Transit SC - Senior Counsel SCDF - Singapore Civil Defence Force SCGS - Singapore Chinese Girls' School SCS - Science Centre, Singapore SCS - Singapore Computer Systems SDA - Singapore Democratic Alliance SDJ - Senior District Judge SDP - Singapore Democratic Party SDU - Social Development Unit SFI - Singapore Food Industries SG - Solicitor-General SGH - Singapore General Hospital SGSS - Saint Gabriel's Secondary School SGX - Singapore Exchange SIA - Singapore Airlines SICC - Singapore Island Country Club SILS - Singapore Institute of Labour Studies SIM - Singapore Institute of Management SINDA - Singapore Indian Development Association SJAB - St. John Ambulance Brigade SJI - St. Joseph's Institution SJII - St. Joseph's Institution International SJIJ - St. Joseph's Institution Junior SKLRT - Sengkang LRT Line SLA - Singapore Land Authority SLC - Student Leaders' Council SLF - Singapore Labour Foundation SLO - Singapore Lyric Opera SMa - Singapore Manufacturers' Federation SMC - Single Member Constituency SMRT - SMRT Corporation SMU - Singapore Management University SNO - Special needs officer (like in the case of several schools, be it as Tampines Primary School (Mdm Tutek) and Tampines Secondary School (Mr Suhairi)) SNOC - Singapore National Olympic Council SNPC - Singapore National Paralympic Council SOS - Samaritans of Singapore; (slang) struggling in silence SP - Singapore Polytechnic SPA - School-based Practical Assessment SPCA - Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals SPF - Singapore Police Force SPH - Singapore Press Holdings SPG - (slang) sarong party girl SPS - Saint Patrick's School SRJC - Serangoon Junior College SRP - Skills Redevelopment Programme SS - Social Studies SSC - Singapore Sports Council; Singapore Swimming Club SSDC - Singapore Safety Driving Centre SSO - Singapore Symphony Orchestra SST - School of Science and Technology, Singapore ST - Singapore Technologies STAR - Special Tactics and Rescue STARIS - SMRT Active Route Map Information System SVPS - South View Primary School SYAS - San Yu Adventist School SYFC - Singapore Youth Flying Club SYOGOC - Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee SYT - Sweet Young Thing T TA - Temasek Academy TCHS - The Chinese High School TCS - Television Corporation of Singapore TH - Temasek Hall, NUS TIBS - Trans-Island Bus Services TJC - Temasek Junior College TKGS - Tanjong Katong Girls' School TKSS - Tanjong Katong Secondary School TNS - Tao Nan School TOP - Temporary Occupancy Permit TP - Temasek Polytechnic TPY - Toa Payoh TP - Traffic Police TPG - Tanjong Pagar TPJC - Tampines Junior College TPS - Tampines Primary School TPSS - Tampines Secondary School TSL - Thomson MRT Line TTC - Trinity Theological College, Singapore TTS - Tanglin Trust School TTSH - Tan Tock Seng Hospital U UOB - United Overseas Bank URA - Urban Redevelopment Authority UP - Usual Price UWCSEA - United World College of South East Asia V VJC - Victoria Junior College VS - Victoria School VWO - Voluntary Welfare Organisation W WDL - Woodlands, Singapore X [No entries yet] Y YJC - Yishun Junior College Z [No entries yet] Abbreviations in the military This is a list of abbreviations commonly used in the Singapore Armed Forces, including slang terms. They are often used in place of the expanded form of the words. Some abbreviations are similar to those used in other militaries. People Ranks See also: Singapore Armed Forces ranks These ranks are arranged in descending order of seniority Officers Army and Air Force Navy LG - Lieutenant General MG - Major General BG - Brigadier General VADM - Vice Admiral RADM - Rear Admiral COL - Colonel SLTC - Senior Lieutenant Colonel LTC - Lieutenant Colonel MAJ - Major CPT - Captain LTA - Lieutenant 2LT - Second Lieutenant OCT - Officer Cadet Warrant officers CWO - Chief Warrant Officer (Unfortunately having the same abbreviation as Corrective Work Order) SWO - Senior Warrant Officer MWO - Master Warrant Officer 1WO - First Warrant Officer (formerly "WO1" or "WOI") 2WO - Second Warrant Officer (formerly "WO2" or "WOII") 3WO - Third Warrant Officer Specialists MSG - Master Sergeant SSG - Staff Sergeant 1SG - First Sergeant 2SG - Second Sergeant 3SG - Third Sergeant SGT - Sergeant (defunct – replaced by "1SG", "2SG" and "3SG") SCT - Specialist Cadet Enlistees CFC - Corporal First Class CPL - Corporal LCP - Lance Corporal PFC - Private First Class PTE - Private REC - Recruit Appointments and offices 2IC - Second-in-charge (see "IC") ASM - armskoteman BC - Battery commander BOS - Battalion Orderly Sergeant BOS - Brigade Orderly Sergeant BSM - Battery Sergeant Major BSO - Battalion Signal Officer CAO - Chief Armour Officer CAF - Chief of Air Force CCO - Camp Commandant's Office CDF - Chief of Defence Force CDO - Company Duty Officer CDS - Chief Defence Scientist CMC - Chief of Medical Corps CNV - Chief of Navy CO - Commanding Officer COA - Chief of Army COS - Company Orderly Sergeant CQMS - or "CQ" - Company Quartermaster Sergeant CSM - Company Sergeant Major (unlike many other countries, sergeant majors are appointments, not ranks) DDO - Divisional Duty Officer DO - Duty Officer DOS - Duty Orderly Sergeant DSM - Division Sergeant Major Dy S1 - Deputy Manpower Officer Dy S2 - Deputy Intelligence Officer Dy S3 - Deputy Training and Operation Officer Dy S4 - Deputy Logistic Officer FDO - Field Duty Officer FS - Fitness Specialist FSM - Formation Sergeant Major IC - (person) in command or in charge (see also "2IC") IO - Intelligence Officer MO - Medical Officer MTO - Military Transport Officer NO - Nursing Officer NCO - Non-Commissioned Officer (defunct – replaced by "Specialist") OC - Officer Commanding (Company Commander in other militaries) PC - Platoon Commander PS - Platoon Sergeant PSO - Principal Staff Officer PTI - Physical Training Instructor QM - Quartermaster - usually a commissioned officer or a senior warrant officer RQMS - Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant - usually a warrant officer in the SAF RSM - Regimental Sergeant Major S1 - Manpower Officer S2 - Intelligence Officer S3 - Training and Operation Officer S4 - Logistic Officer SDO - School Duty Officer (use is limited to training schools) SM - Sergeant Major WOSA - Warrant officers, specialists and airmen WOSE - Warrant officers, specialists and enlistees WOSPEC - Warrant officers and specialists Units and organizations BMTC - Basic Military Training Centre CAD - Combined Arms Division CDO - Singapore Commandos CMPB - Central Manpower Base CSSCOM - Combat Service Support Command DISCOM - Division Support Command DSMB - Direct Support Maintenance Battalion DS Med Bn - Direct Support Medical Battalion DSSB - Direct Support Supply Battalion DSTA - Defence Science Technology Agency FCC - Fitness Conditioning Centre FDS - Field Defence Squadron GDS - Singapore Guards JID - Joint Intelligence Directorate JOPD - Joint Operations and Planning Directorate MP - Military Police MMI - Military Medicine Institute NCC - National Cadet Corps (Singapore) NDU - Naval Diving Unit (Singapore) OCS - Officer Cadet School PDF - People's Defence Force RSAF - Republic of Singapore Air Force RSN - Republic of Singapore Navy SA - Singapore Artillery SAF - Singapore Armed Forces SAFPU - Singapore Armed Forces Provost Unit (defunct, reorganised into the Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command) SAFMPC - Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command SAFRA - Singapore Armed Forces Reservists' Association (the term "reservist" has generally been replaced by "Operationally Ready NSmen") SCC - SAF Counselling Centre SCE - Singapore Combat Engineers SI - Signal Institute SIB - Singapore Infantry Brigade SIB - Special Investigation Branch SIR - Singapore Infantry Regiment SISPEC - School of Infantry Specialist SJAB - St. John Ambulance Brigade SMI - School of Military Intelligence SMM - School of Military Medicine (reorganised as SMTI in 2006) SMTI - SAF Medical Training Institute SOC - School of Commandos SOF - Special Operations Force SPT - School of Physical Training Places 265 - formerly a hill in Marsiling with an elevation of 265 feet which was used for training; it has been levelled for urban development. ATEC - Army Training and Evaluation Center BCTC - Basic Combat Training Center SAFTI - Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute (term now defunct) SAFTI MI - SAFTI Military Institute Weapons, vehicles and equipment A-veh - a heavy vehicle, such as an armoured vehicle APC - Armoured Personnel Carrier AVLB - Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge B-veh - non-"A-veh" vehicles, such as rovers and trucks FAD - first aid dressing FBO - full battle order (compare "SBO") FFR - (with reference to a land rover) fitted for radio FH - 2000 - Field Howitzer 2000 GPMG - General Purpose Machine Gun – refers in particular to the FN MAG used in the Singapore Armed Forces HMG - Heavy machine gun IBA - Integrated body armour IFV - Infantry Fighting Vehicle LAW - Light Anti-tank Weapon LBV - Load Bearing Vest LST - Landing Ship Tank MOP - Medic Operational Pouch (previously Medical Orderly Pouch) RCK - rifle cleaning kit SAW - Section Assault Weapon (usually refers to the Ultimax 100) SBO - Standard (formerly Skeletal) Battle Order (compare "FBO") SSPH 1 - Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer 1 Primus Slang FO - fall out; fuck off LOBO - left out of battle order (refers to a soldier who has not been assigned a fixed vocation) NATO - no action, talk only Pikachu - from the hokkien expression "bai kah bai chew", meaning crippled SBC - simply boh chup – indifferent, not caring (from the abbreviation of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation) WALI - walk around, look important ROC - relax one corner SOC - siam one corner, that is, to hide somewhere in order to avoid meeting one's superiors, doing work, etc. (from the abbreviation of "Standard Obstacle Course") Others 11B - SAF 11B, the military identity card. 1206 - SAF 1206, a form signed to acknowledge deductions made to a soldier's payroll for damaging or losing equipment, etc. (pronounced "twelve-O-six") ACCT - Advanced Close Combat Training AI - Armoured Infantry troopers AOC - Advanced Obstacle Course ATP - Advanced Trainfire Package Attend B - medical status that allows soldier to perform only light duties Attend C - medical status that exempts soldier from all duties AWOL - Absent Without Official Leave BAC - Battle Assault Course BCCT - Basic Close Combat Training BER - beyond economic repair BIC - Battle Inoculation Course BMT - Basic Military Training BRO - Battalion Routine Order BTP - Basic Trainfire Package BUA - Built-up area (see also "FIBUA") C3 - command, control and communication (pronounced "C-three" or "C-cube") CBRE - Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive Defence Group CIS - Chartered Industries of Singapore CMTL - Centralized Motor Transport Line COC - Change of Command Parade CP - command post CRO - Company Routine Orders CST - Combat Survival Training DB - detention barracks DIV - division DOD - date of disruption EVAC - evacuation FFF - Fit For Firing certification FFI - Fitness For Instructions FIBUA - fighting in built-up area (see also "BUA") FO - Forward Observer, soldier who corrects artillery fire FOFO - fighting on Fortified objectives GLS - Ground Logistics Support HCC - High Confidence Course IA - Immediate Action, a pre-trained drill for responding to a certain situation ICCT - Intermediate Close Combat Training ICT - In Camp Training (also simply known as in-camp) IFC - Individual Field Craft IMT - Individual Marksmanship Trainer IPPT - Individual Physical Proficiency Test L/F - live firing LOA - letter of authorization OOC - Out of Course OOT - Out of Training ORD - Operationally Ready Date (formerly "ROD") RO - Routine Orders ROD - Run Out Date (now "ORD") PES - Physical Employment Status SOC - Standard Obstacle Course SOL - stoppage of leave TH - Technical Handling UFF - unfit for firing Abbreviations in transport As in most other major cities, abbreviations are commonly used in transport-related matters. The most prominent are the three-letter abbreviations of the expressways in Singapore; all, except one, end with the letter "E": AYE - Ayer Rajah Expressway BKE - Bukit Timah Expressway CTE - Central Expressway ECP - East Coast Parkway KJE - Kranji Expressway KPE - Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway MCE - Marina Coastal Expressway PIE - Pan Island Expressway SLE - Seletar Expressway TPE - Tampines Expressway With the introduction of the Electronic Monitoring and Advisory System (EMAS) in 1998, LED signboards were installed along the expressways to display warning and other informational messages to road users. This led to the increased use of abbreviations, some of which are less common and not easily understood. The following are examples of abbreviations used in the EMAS:[8] BEDOK NTH - Bedok North Road BEDOK STH - Bedok South Road CCK DR - Choa Chu Kang Drive TOWN HALL - Jurong Town Hall Road TP AVE 10 - Tampines Avenue 10 LT - left RT - right AFT - after BEF - before LN - lane SH - shoulder