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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


465 results found

office

Definition: A code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers have unconsciously adopted to refer to a workplace because they have used Microsoft Office a bit too much growing up for doing homework and assignments.

Usage: E.g. 聽日要返office?唔係打八號風球咩?!(We need to go to office tomorrow? Isn't it gonna be typhoon 8?!)

Synonym: 辦公室

Reference: https://www.jobmarket.com.hk/m/Bastille/返Shift網民大呻轉返Office工仲辛苦:朝九晚六先係真地獄?

old seafood

Definition: Derived from '老屎忽' meaning 'old buttocks', this is a Kongish code-mixing phrase used to refer to a person who has high authority in a company but often looks down on the subordinates, points fingers at them, and uses them to his or her advantage.

Usage: E.g. My senior is such an old seafood! He just likes to point his finger at people and doesn't do anything himself!

Synonym: 老屎忽

one man band

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a job position that covers almost all the duties that an entire department has.

Usage: E.g. 我份工係one man band,所以都幾忙架。

Synonym: 一腳踢

Reference: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/一腳踢

open

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to being open-minded about sex, which is extremely appropriate to use to describe someone due to its hidden sexual connotations.

Usage: E.g. 外表斯文,內裡open。(He/she is gentle on the outside, open on the inside.)

Synonym: 豪放

Reference: https://www.facebook.com/100063467924977/posts/粵式市井順口溜-文-李系德以前看香港電視處境喜劇愛回家之開心速遞有一集談到不少古老當時興的粵式市井俗語因帶有壓韻也可歸類為順口溜這些隨口噏當秘笈的俏皮話雖然老土/1263445272447725/

order

Definition: Pronounced as '痾打', this is a more elegant term that refers to the Cantonese equivalent(落單)for placing orders.  Sometimes, it is used by the police when giving instructions to the subordinates.

Usage: E.g. D野仲未黎既?我落左order好耐喇喎。快D吹吓佢。E.g. 警察:This is an order! Understand?! 下屬:Yes, sir!

Synonym: 落單

Reference: https://www.gushiciku.cn/dl/0pydp/zh-hk

OT

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to working overtime. Sometimes, it is used as '冬OT' (winter OT), which means 'don't OT'.

Usage: E.g. A:死喇,咁多野做。唔知今晚要OT到幾時呢?B:冬OT!

Synonym: 加班

Reference: http://www.cmi.hku.hk/Ref/Article/article02/01.html

out

Definition: 1. (adj) This is a code-mixing word that refers to being outdated. 2. (verb) To instruct someone to be eliminated or get out of the room.

Usage: E.g. 你兒家先聽呢首歌?你真係好out呀。(adj) E.g. 你同我out!(verb)

Reference: https://www.gushiciku.cn/dl/0pydp/zh-hk

Out bud

Definition: A code-mixing term that refers to ‘out of budget’, which is used by working class Hong Kongers in business meetings.

Usage: 做project management只睇兩樣。第一就係有冇outside個scope,第二就係有冇out bud。

Out c

Definition: A code-mixing term that refers to ‘out of syllabus’, which is used by local school students in Hong Kong.

Usage: Past paper條題目out c左。

Synonym: 非考試範圍

out cat

Definition: Said to have originated from 'copycat' in English, this is a Kongish code-mixing phrase that refers to someone who cheats or copies other people's answers in an exam. (出貓)

Usage: E.g. Don't dare to bring out the cat in an exam! (唔好咁大擔考試出貓!)

Synonym: 出貓

Reference: https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/article/3181508/cat-got-your-tongue-feline-inspired-cantonese-slang-all-kinds

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