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滾搞你

滾搞 Bother; 你 You

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Sorry to bother you

符弗

符 Amulet; 弗 dust whisk. A 符 is a yellow paper with magical signs or symbols on it. A 弗 (拂塵) refers to a dust whisk, which is a symbol of Buddhist monasticism. Both the amulet and the dust whisk are used for exorcism in Chinese culture. The word "符弗" (fú fú) is used to connote the "methods" or "tricks" that one has, though not neccessary utilizing mystical or supernatural means to achieve a desired outcome.

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tricks up one's sleeve

竹昇

竹昇 refers to a bamboo culm with nodes at each end that have been plugged. In Chinese culture, this image is used to describe someone who is "plugged" at both ends like a culm, meaning that they do not fully identify with either Chinese or Western culture. The term is often used as a euphemism for ethnic Chinese who grew up overseas, particularly in places with strong Western cultural influences.

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Western-born Chinese

冚唪唥

冚唪唥 ham6 baang6 laang6 = All, everything. There are many different theories on the origin of this phrase, but all of them (Hambaanglaang) are not proven to be true

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All, everything

二五仔

二 Two; 五 Five; 仔 Boy. There are 3 origin stories for this phrase: 1) During the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history, there were two men named "Five" (or the fifth child in their families) who betrayed their lord together. As a result, people called them "Two Fives." 2) During the 1911 Revolution, Mr. Sun Yat-sen referred to traitors as "義忤仔" (People who go against the original intention of the revolution) which has the same pronunciation as 二五仔. 3) The third origin story involves Fu Shui and is difficult to explain. Please contact me if you would like to know more.

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The mole; traitor

老竇

There was an old man named 竇禹鈞. He was famous for being a "good" father, as all five of his sons became government officials. As a result, people began to use "老竇" to refer to a father, with "老" being an honorific term for "old."

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Pops; Pa

𢲷痕

𢲷 Pronounced as "R", Scratch; 痕 Itchy

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Scratching (itchy skin)

通水

通 Pass; 水 Water. Water is often associated with money or fortune. "Passing water" is a metaphor for passing valuable information secretly, often unethically or in a way that is not intended to be disclosed openly

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Secretively passing confidential information to the others

Real Sum Sing

(Chinglish) Sum 心 Heart; Sing 聲 Sound; 心聲 heartfelt

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True feelings

守水塘

守 Guard; 水塘 Reservoir. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Royal Hong Kong Police was known for being heavily corrupt. However, since the water reservoirs were located in remote areas, policemen who were assigned to guard them were not able to receive bribes. As a result, this duty was regarded as very unpleasant and was often delegated to those who were honest or did not get along with their bosses. This phrase now refers to any remote or unlikable job that is avoided by others

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Being sent to Siberia

唔該晒

唔 No, not; 該 Should; 晒 All, done = Shouldn't have (troubled you) at all

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Thanks for your help

Hai Gum Ga La

(Chinglish) 係咁㗎喇 = 係 Is; 咁 this; 㗎喇 (intonation) reassure = This is like this

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It is what it is; C’est la vie

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Calgary, AB, Canada

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