This site is not dead, I promise. It's just that life gets in the way of things. This entry was just hiding in a corner of my brain waiting to be posted. And is really quite appropriate because I would use it in the context of this situation. This magic phrase is “Ee-ao xiu”.

Okay, the romanisation is probably very wrong, but that's how it's said in my household. It is usually used as an expression of incredulous-ness, but not in a positive sense. Let's use it in a sentence.

“Eh, do you know now cannot bring laptop into US on international flights?”

“Ee-ao xiu, like that also can ah?”

According to my dad, it actually literally translates to ‘Slim waist’ in Chinese, which implies that one will have a short life? So you wouldn't use it for something positive. At least, I've never heard it in that context. I honestly don't know how to verify this, maybe the next time I go back to Penang I will ask more people about the use of this phrase.

Again, this might make more sense if you listen to the audio. Hopefully. 👇

这个网站还没倒闭,真的。只是最近发生很多事,所以耽误了网站的更新。其实这份文章很早就想好了。所以这次的词语还蛮恰当的。它就是「腰咻」。

总觉得这样的写法是错别字,但是我也不清楚这个词汇到底存不存在,只是我家是这样用的。它算是个感叹词,用在出乎预料的不良状况。打个比方:

「你知道吗,现在美国将在国际航班禁带笔记本电脑耶!」

「腰咻,这样都行啊?」

我老爸说「腰咻」其实是「腰瘦」,指短命的意思。所以只在不良的状况用得着。我本身是没听过它用在好事身上。下次回槟城时我会再问问一些亲戚朋友,探个究竟吧。

如果以上解释看不明白,不妨听听录音吧👇

Hear the Penang Hokkien audio version:

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