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:
gone-case
gone case
→
English:
gone
+
case
Detailed etymology
definitions
noun
- somebody or something irredeemable, hopeless, beyond help; futile, or doomed
"At first, I thought there was nothing wrong. When I saw my fillings and looked at my teeth, gone case. Twenty over years and they just cracked like that."
— 2024 January 2, Cherlynn Ng (quoting Scorpio). STOMP, "Man's teeth become 'gone case' after biting on stone-like object in rice, SFA investigating". https://stomp.straitstimes.com/singapore-seen/mans-teeth-become-gone-case-after-biting-on-stone-like-object-in-rice-sfa
synonyms:
usage notes
Also used in Indian English. Equivalent to English lost cause.