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:
iron ricebowl
iron rice bowl
简
繁
→
English:
iron
+
rice
+
bowl
↻
Mandarin:
铁饭碗
鐵飯碗
pinyin:
tiě fàn wǎn
Detailed etymology
definitions
noun
- (metaphor) a highly stable and secure job, often with the government
It's like an iron rice bowl for us as everyone needs accounting services ... I'm pretty comfortable where I am in my job ...
— 2016 October 1, Kenneth Cheng and Toh Ee Ming (quoting Cherlyn Chia). Today, "Despite being vulnerable, few PMETs heed call to learn new skills". p.1
As an army regular, Shivam was thankful for his iron rice bowl during a time when many of his close friends were losing their jobs.
usage notes
Compare other uses of basic staples or food in general as a metaphor for 'a job, livelihood, or salary', e.g. in cari makan.