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chiobu

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.

also can:

chiobu

chio bu

Hokkien:

𲍸母

poj:

chhio-bú

+

poj:

chhió/chhiò

expand for details Detailed etymology

definitions

noun

  1. a pretty girl; a sexy lady; an attractive young woman
  2. “This bride-to-be is very chio, I can’t believe she wakes up early every morning to pack rice at the stall,” she said.
    A chio bu selling nasi padang? This is something.

    — 2017 August 16, Maureen. Miss Tam Chiak, "Istimewa Kitchen – Affordable Nasi Padang in Bedok Industrial Park". https://www.misstamchiak.com/istimewa/


usage notes

Used to be considered vulgar and derogatory, as the term originally came from Hokkien 𲍸母/𪁎母, chhio-bú ("horny or lustful woman; a female in heat"). However, since the term has now been conflated with the adjective chio (Hokkien 俏, chhió/chhiò - "pretty; handsome; charming; lovely"), in modern usage it is almost always used as a compliment without a lecherous, perverted, or vulgar connotation.


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