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Definition: A romanised code-mixing phrase used by Hong Kong expats when they want to order something in a restaurant but don't know how to read a menu.
Usage: E.g. Mm goi waiter! Ni gor please!
Synonym: 呢個, this
Definition: Originated from the warning sounds of the bells when a tram is driving in Hong Kong, this is an Englishised code-mixing term which refers to the tram that can be taken in the Hong Kong Tramways on Hong Kong Island.
Usage: Let's take a tour of Hong Kong Island by taking the Ding Ding!
Synonym: 叮叮, 電車
Reference: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/explore/attractions/hong-kong-tramways.html
Definition: Derived from the Chinese term '內卷' and often translated as 'involution', this is an Englishised code-mixing term that describes an economic situation where excessive competition does not lead to development and innovation. This may lead to people feeling stressed, anxious, and trapped, as the two characters mean 'inside rolling'.
Usage: E.g. I'm stuck in the rat race! I'm so tired of competing with everyone just to climb the career ladder!
Synonym: 內卷
Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjTg1G8rpVc
Definition: A romanised code-mixing phrase meaning something is of the best quality. It cannot get better than it already is.
Usage: E.g. Wa! This dim sum is mou dak ding!
Synonym: 冇得頂
Definition: A romanised code-mixing phrase that westernised Hong Kongers use when they want to apologise politely for something.
Usage: E.g. *Holding up a queue* Mm ho yi si. E.g. *Butts into a conversation* Mm ho yi si. Where is the MTR?
Synonym: 唔好意思
Definition: It is a slang used in casual, humorous contexts to describe the buttocks, often linked to the roundness of the full moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Usage: My first skateboard experience is i fell on my august 15th as soon as I stood on the board!
Synonym: 八月十五
Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/32249/
Definition: A romanised code-mixing phrase used by foreigners when they come across a local Hong Konger who thinks they know how to speak Cantonese. Literal meaning: I don't know how to speak Cantonese.
Usage: E.g. Foreigner: Mm goi sai! Dor jeh! Hong Konger: Wow, your Cantonese is so good! Foreigner: Ngo mm sik gong gwong dong wa.
Synonym: 我唔識講廣東話
Definition: Derived from the Chinese internet slang '躺平', this is an Englishised code-mixing term used to describe a lifestyle of doing as little as possible, due to knowing that there is a 'rat race' going on where everyone is competing for jobs such that it is almost impossible to keep up with the societal pressure.
Usage: E.g. This exam is so difficult! I am lying flat! E.g. I am not lying flat! I must continue to find a better job!
Synonym: 躺平
Reference: https://www.timeout.com/hong-kong/things-to-do/cantonese-internet-and-texting-slang-to-use-right-now
Definition: A romanised code-mixing phrase used by westernised Hong Kongers when they cannot get the f**k out the train on the MTR. Literal meaning: Please move aside.
Usage: E.g. Mm goi. (唔該) *nobody moves* Mm ho yi si. (唔好意思) *nobody moves* Mm goi jeh jeh! (唔該借借) *people move out of the way*
Synonym: 唔該借借
Definition: An Englishised code-mixing phrase that refers to someone who disappeared for a long time and no one knows where they went.
Usage: E.g. I will be blacklisting this guy who promised to attend the conference but went scuba diving!
Synonym: 潛水