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Definition: Derived from '母校', this is a Kongish code-mixing term that refers to a school that a person has graduated from. ie. Alma mater.
Usage: Well I’m a Catholic. I believe in what I have been taught when I was in my mother secondary school, Wah Yan Kowloon.
Synonym: 母校
Reference: https://www.inmediahk.net/node/政經/李家超透露是天主教徒-感謝「mother-secondary-school」教誨
Definition: (vulgar) Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to call someone a bastard or son of a bitch. Also has the meaning of gigolo, which originated from Fuzhou in China. (契弟)
Usage: E.g. You are dead meat, sworn brother! (契弟) E.g. Oh gosh we are doomed. This time we are gonna be sworn brothers. (做契弟） E.g. So you’ve been treating me like a sworn brother all along? （當我契弟） E.g. Sworn brother walks slowly. （契弟走得摩）
Synonym: 契弟
Reference: https://baike.baidu.hk/item/%E5%A5%91%E5%BC%9F/7349815
Definition: Originated from the olden days where the upper class loved to wear old sheepskin of high quality, this is a Kongish code-mixing term used by Hong Kongers to describe someone who has low social status and tries to mimick the upper class by wearing cheap quality clothing that matches the appearance of expensive clothing. ie. The white colour and look of fresh carrot skin resembles the look of old sheepskin.
Usage: E.g. You think you are so high class? What kind of fresh carrot skin are you?
Synonym: 新鮮蘿蔔皮
Reference: https://voltra.academy/blog/canton2
Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase that refers to giving irrelevant responses to questions.
Usage: E.g. A：你去邊？ B：我知道。Ａ：Nine not following eight!
Synonym: 九唔搭八
Reference: https://zolimacitymag.com/pop-cantonese-nine-not-following-eight/
Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a phrase used by native Hong Kongers to describe someone who does not know anyone. Originated from a game similar to Rummikub where pulling cards should add up to nine, but not over. Otherwise, the player will lose the game.
Usage: E.g. I have never been to this event before! Everyone was like 'three does not know seven'!
Synonym: 三唔識七
Reference: https://www.localiiz.com/post/culture-local-stories-popular-cantonese-idioms
Definition: A code-mixing term used by Hong Kong actress and singer JW as a less direct way to describe someone with a bad personality.
Usage: E.g. I am not saying he is a bad person, 佢都係好人嚟㗎，男人我明白會有犯呢啲錯啦，但係當我係個受害者嘅時候，我就make咗呢個decision... (I am not saying he is a bad person, he is a good person after all, I understand men make these kind of mistakes, but since I was a victim, I made this decision...)
Synonym: 我唔係想講佢係一個壞/品質差既人
Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing idiom used by native Hong Kongers to describe a situation where you cannot force someone into seeking help if they do not accept it.
Usage: E.g. I offered to help him with his homework but he never sent it over. Oh well... if the cow doesn't drink water, you cannot press the cow's head down.
Synonym: 牛唔飲水唔撳得牛頭低
Reference: https://www.localiiz.com/post/culture-local-stories-popular-cantonese-idioms
Definition: Derived from '一舊舊' meaning 'in lumps', this is a code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to someone talking in an unclear, broken manner. Sometimes, it can also refer to work being done in a sloppy way.
Usage: E.g. 最後功能就係開會叫晒啲落手做既同business owner黎自己傾，自己就成個文員咁係側邊mark notes，有啲廢pm就連呢part都做到1999要人事後叫佢改 (E.g. The last useful thing they would do is to hold a meeting that lets the workers and business owners to talk to each other, and the project manager would just be like a clerk marking notes at the side. Some crappy project managers would even do this part in a very sloppy way that people needed to tell them to revise it afterwards.)
Synonym: 一舊舊
Reference: https://www.timeout.com/hong-kong/things-to-do/cantonese-internet-and-texting-slang-to-use-right-now
Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers as a trendier way to refer to artificial intelligence because it sounds more powerful like an entity that is capable of operating on its own rather than something that is just man-made as the Cantonese term denotes.
Usage: 上司：萬一發現AI可以取代你，高層要郁你我都保你唔住呀。你見我隻字不提你就好醒水啦，AI咁勁，分分鐘郁埋我㗎死仔 (Boss: In case people find out that AI can replace you, I can't protect you if the senior executives have to fire you. You see I am not mentioning anything to them so you better be smart. Since AI is so powerful, it might even fire me in a minute, you brat.)
Synonym: 人工智能
Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3874628/page/1
Definition: A code-mixing term that upper class Hong Kongers use to refer to a dish of food that is eaten before a meal to stimulate or whet one's appetite.
Usage: E.g. D人未到，不如食個appetizer等住先啦？（People have not arrived yet. What about eating an appetizer while we wait?)
Synonym: 前菜
Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2723472/page/2