19 'Singlish' terms have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary
SINGAPORE -- If you want to roll with the locals, you should probably check out the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).
The hallowed dictionary has added 19 common Singaporean and 13 Hong Kong terms to its quarterly update.
Listed as "Singapore English" by the OED, Singlish is Singapore's creole and usually involves loanwords from Chinese dialects and Malay or English expressions that are often used by the locals.
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Examples include: "shiok" (cool, great; delicious, superb); "lepak" (to loiter aimlessly or idly; to loaf, relax, hang out); and "blur" (slow in understanding; unaware, ignorant, confused).
The majority of the 13 Hong Kong terms derive from Cantonese loanwords, such as "dai pai dong" (a food stall); and "yumcha" (to drink afternoon tea; eat dimsum).
This is not the first time the OED has included Singlish words into its record. Since 2000, "sinseh" (Chinese doctor) and "kiasu" (scared to lose) have been added to the online version of the OED.
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