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February 28, 2009

A Short Skit About Singlish - An Original Composition

I wrote the following skit about Singapore English 'Singlish' to share with students about this unique language that I love.

Disclaimer: This story is fiction and is not intended to be taken as fact. All publicly recognizable people are being used as characters in fiction and the author does not believe these events happened, will happen or should happen. The author is in no way associated with the real people and makes no claim of any sort on their persons.

A Short Skit About Singlish - An Original Composition

Setting: Classroom

Ah Beng: Gan-Cheong King (Nervous King)
Kumar: Kia-See King (Scared-to-Die King)
Ahmad: Blur King (Clueless King)
Ah Lian: Hao-Lian Queen (Show-Off Queen)
Ah Huay: Chin-Chye Queen (Easy-Going Queen)

Teacher: Today we are going to have a short quiz about Tamil, Pakistani, Arab, Chinese and Eurasian Muslim traders in Singapore in the early 19th century. You have five minutes to revise your textbook.

Ah Beng: ALAMAK (Portuguese: Expression of shock)! Jia Lat (Hokkien: Oh dear)! Not yet study! This time die lah!

Kumar: Siao Liao (Hokkien: Crazy already)! So su-ay (Hokkien: Unlucky)! Why the teacher so like that sabo (English: Sabotage) us one! Never remind us yesterday lah.

Ahmad: Ah? Eh-skew-me (English: Excuse me), what just happen? what teacher say ah?

Kumar: Eh Ahmad, why you so blur (English: Clueless) like sotong (Malay: Squid) one ? Buay (Hokkien: Cannot) ta-han (Malay: Tolerate) you! Teacher say got quiz today.

Ah Lian: Ai-yah, he always catch no ball one (He doesn't understand what is going on.). No need worry lah! Just take it easy lah! Not like end of the world lah. Eh! look at my ear rings, so su-ee (Hokkien: pretty).

Ah Huay: A-lo!This quiz not counted one lah. Ai-Tzai (Hokkien: Relax)!

Ah Lian: Eh Ah Huay! Why you tell them? You know I know can already mah. (Usually meant to be a secret between 2 person)

Ah Huay: Chin-Chye (Hokkien: Nevermind) lah! See them so gan-cheong (Cantonese: Anxious) mah.

Ah Beng: Wah-Tzai (Hokkien:I know)! But I kia-su (Hokkien: Scare to lose) mah! Cannot lose to Kumar leh.

Ah Lian: Ai-Yah! You not only kia-su, you also kia-see (Hokkien: Scare to die)!

Ah Huay: I double confirm (English: confirm and reconfirm) this quiz not counted one lah. Why you all boh-chap (Hokkien: Ignore) me one?

Kumar: Don want to talk to you now, chop chop (English: Do it fast... don't waste time) read textbook lah.. don't waste time lah." . I hope quiz easy one, if not gone case liao!

Ahmad: Yah, chop chop read textbook lah. Eh what page ah?

Teacher: OK, time for quiz now. Close your textbooks and take out a blank paper now.

All: WAT! MA-TEE LIAO (Malay: Die already)!

References:

YouTube:
Phua Chu Kang - Beng-speak http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULTAo-YOeDY

Web Sites:
A Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English http://www.singlishdictionary.com/

Ah Beng Learns Singlish http://ahbeng.vlsm.org/aob-1.html

In Defence of Singlish http://www.tim-richardson.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=72&Itemid=50

Singlish vocabulary http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singlish_vocabulary

The Eurasian Association, Singapore http://www.eurasians.org/

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