More sayings

from

the Raymond Kwok Collection

ar boay tang-chek, sow ee
     not yet Winter Solstice Festival, rolling glutinous balls
          pregnant before the marriage ceremony 
 

been mor-peng ka-eh teow teng
     face so pock marked you could hang lanterns on them
          An ugly face 

bong thn'ee leng leng
     touch Heaven, cold, cold
          sweet innocence 

charm ch'ai t'au
     cut off the head of the vegetable
          fleeced by someone 

chia kar` kee`
     eat oneself
          sustaining a personal financial loss 

chia sim-knua
     eat heart
          to cause anguish 

chim ka chim sio ngek
     crab and crab squeezed together
          the poor struggling for survival 

ch'eo ka bo bak ch'iu
     laugh until no eyes
          extremely delighted 

ch'eo ka ch'oo k'ee loot
     laugh until teeth drop out
          to be very happy 

eh ch'ut ch'iu
     can extend hand
          generous 

gau chee-chee char-char
     good at chirping
          talkative 

hor` beh^ t'art
     kicked by a horse
          losing money at the races 

hor` sin k'ia bay tiau~
     the fly can't stand firmly
          over meticulous when doing one's hair, hair too well groomed 

kam p'oay~ been ho mia
       orange skin face good life
             those with orange skin face will have a good life 
 

Tones
_____

~    rising tone as in hair (prawn)
`    down tone as in tay (earth)
^    up tone as in ch'uan (tired)
!    abrupt sound
n  nasal
 

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RAYMOND is a retired History/English teacher He is also a free-lance journalist, writing mainly on the Penang Straits Chinese or Baba-Nyonya culture, on which he spends time on research. He has written two books waiting to be published: Glimpses of a Glorious Past and Goldren Dreams, Gilded Heirlooms. He is also a collector of Baba-Nyonya artifacts, jewellery, costumes, keronchong records and  furniture which are stored in his house, making it a veritable mini-museum. Visitors are welcome.

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