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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


503 results found

O mouth

Definition: Derived from 'O嘴', this is a Kongish code-mixing term that refers to feeling surprised and astonished to the point where your mouth literally opens in an O shape.

Usage: E.g. I was O mouth to see the football match turned around! (今次場波反敗為勝,真睇到我O哂嘴。)

Synonym: O嘴

Reference: https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/features/article/3096419/learn-cantonese-slang-many-faces-hongkongers

OBA

Definition: A code-mixing term used by Hong Kong local students to refer to 'Occupied but Available' in boy-girl relationships.

Usage: E.g. Occupied but Available (有伴侶但仍接受追求,即可一腳踏N船)(In a relationship but is still accepting new relationships, meaning that you can be in an N number of relationships at the same time.)

Synonym: Occupied but Available

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2812430/page/8

offer

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to refer to the initial notification sent by a university presenting an acceptance of an applicant for a course, often provided that the applicant fulfills a number of conditions and the payment as well.

Usage: E.g. A: 大學出左offer比你未? B: 收到同接受左喇,但係仲未正式取錄。(A: Have you received the offer from university yet? B: I received it and accepted it, but the admission is not officially confirmed yet.)

Synonym: 取錄, 錄取通知

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2632592/page/1

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?

office work

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to tasks that can be easily overtaken by the AI in this day and age.

Usage: E.g. 當AI包辦愈來愈多office work,中層最難解釋自己嘅價值。(When AI takes over more and more office work, it can be the most difficult for people working in middle management to explain their value.)

Synonym: 辦公室工作

Reference: https://www.threads.com/share/_vU5J7Dr9/

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

osim

Definition: Often translated into a bilingual pun 'Old嬋' meaning a middle aged woman, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to the Osim massage chair.

Usage: E.g. 有OSIM唔洗搵Old嬋,但係坐上去就變左Old嬋。(If we have OSIM, then there is no need to find an old auntie. But sitting on an OSIM chair will make you an old auntie.)

Synonym: Old嬋

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2358165/page/1

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