Commonly found variants; note these may range from acceptable alternatives to
non-standard forms or incorrect spellings*.
* Singlish is a largely spoken creole, and as such descriptivism (recording forms that reflect actual pronunciation in spoken language, or as appearing in the linguistic corpus) is more pertinent than strict prescriptivism. Nevertheless, the use of more standard forms (or for words originating in languages with Latin script, such as Malay, accurate to the original spelling) is recommended and encouraged.
* Singlish is a largely spoken creole, and as such descriptivism (recording forms that reflect actual pronunciation in spoken language, or as appearing in the linguistic corpus) is more pertinent than strict prescriptivism. Nevertheless, the use of more standard forms (or for words originating in languages with Latin script, such as Malay, accurate to the original spelling) is recommended and encouraged.
also can:
chap goh mei chap gor mei chap goh meh
chap go mei
→
Hokkien:
十五暝
poj:
cha̍p-gō͘-mêe/mê/mî
Detailed etymology
definitions
noun
- the 15th night of Chinese New Year, also known as Lantern Festival. Some families may celebrate this with a second reunion dinner, with oranges and lanterns playing a prominent role in the celebrations. It is also known as the "Chinese Valentine's Day", and it is a chap goh mei tradition for single ladies to line up to throw oranges and other small fruits into the Singapore River (or other significant local bodies of water in other cities, such as the sea by the Esplanade in Penang) to wish for husbands.[1]
Chinese New Year is coming to an end, which means it’s time for single ladies to look for their Mr Right on Chap Goh Meh today.
While many people still practice the centuries-old ritual to toss mandarin oranges into lakes or rivers, feng shui master Jessie Lee doesn’t really recommend it in this day and age.
— 2022 February 15, Milad Hassandarvish. Malaymail.com: "Feng shui master: Don’t waste oranges on Chap Goh Meh, use social media to find ‘Mr Right’". https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2022/02/15/feng-shui-master-dont-waste-oranges-on-chap-goh-meh-use-social-media-to-fin/2041702