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Definition: Known as Kongish, this is code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to money and lots of different things.
Usage: E.g. Blow water. (吹水 - to chat casually or brag about something) E.g. Measure water. (磅水 - to give money) E.g. Return water. (回水 - to return money) E.g. Clear water. (通水 - to give secret info like a test) E.g. Draw water. (抽水 - to get profit or benefit for free) E.g. One lump of water. (一舊水 - one hundred dollars) E.g. What water? (乜水 - who the heck are you?)
Definition: Often complemented with '跌' meaning 'decrease'', this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to describe the state of becoming worse and being out of shape, like a decrease in wattage of a device.
Usage: E.g. Sophie 搞咩，同GM 一齊後跌曬Watt, 由女神變平民，噤熄自己嘅光…冇曬自己。(What's wrong with Sophie? After being with GM, she became out of shape entirely. From a goddess to a commoner, she turned off the spotlight on her... and lost herself completely.)
Synonym: 瓦; 功率
Reference: https://www.threads.com/share/BBmvzp26S-/
Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by overseas educated Hong Kongers who suspect that Hong Kongers should think equally more about playing hard than just working hard in order to achieve work life balance.
Usage: E.g. 林作：個個都講work hard play hard，work life balance。其實work hard我都懷疑好多香港人都已經做到，但係play hard係咪真係做到？ (Jo Lam: Everyone talks about work hard play hard and work life balance. In fact, I suspect many Hong Kong people can already 'work hard', but what about 'play hard'?)
Synonym: 努力工作，盡情玩樂
Definition: A code-mixing term used by upper class Hong Kongers who think that there should not be work life balance in a job.
Usage: E.g. 鍾培生：創立HKTCG呢段時間，我發現工作係唔應該有work life balance！(Derek Chung: Since founding HKTCG, I’ve realized that work shouldn't be about "work-life balance"!)
Synonym: 工作與生活平衡
Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers use to describe someone who is bragging about their achievements. (扮哂蟹 - baan6 saai3 haai5)
Usage: E.g. A: Stop acting like a crab! You think you are better than me?!
Synonym: 扮哂蟹
Reference: https://zolimacitymag.com/pop-cantonese-大頭蝦-big-head-prawn-language-hong-kong/
Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to having enough money to buy something without indicating one's ability to cope with such burden.
Usage: E.g. 點解要鍾意自己 afford 唔起嘅 luxury? (Why love luxury that you can't afford?)
Synonym: 負擔得起; 買得起
Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DP3vop4Epm7/ (use mobile version)
Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use when they want to illustrate a point from a certain person’s role, but without much emphasis on what it means to be in that role entirely.
Usage: E.g. 或者只係as一個消費者去against for尊重及權益：呢個只係好first step嘅抗議。我地有權維護自己利益，再而就罷買 (Or just as a consumer to against for respect and rights - This is just a very first step protest. We have the right to uphold our own interests and then boycott as a consumer.)
Synonym: 作為
Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/113938/page/23
Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to a person who is a yellow-skinned Asian but speaks English very well. I.e. Yellow on the outside but white on the inside like a bamboo stick. (竹升)
Usage: E.g. Please don’t treat me like a bamboo stick! (竹升) I know how to speak Chinese!
Synonym: 竹升
Definition: A code-mixing term used by real ABCs in Hong Kong to refer to an Asian who speaks English. Ie. Yellow on the outside and white on the inside. （香蕉）
Usage: E.g. I am not a banana! I know how to speak Chinese!
Synonym: 香蕉
Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term that refers to chatting casually or bragging about something.
Usage: E.g. 收皮啦！唔好再blow water！
Synonym: 吹水
Reference: https://hklanguage.home.blog/tag/kongish/