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:
bao chiak pau chiah bao chiah pau chia pau chiak
pau jiak
→
Hokkien:
包食
poj:
pau-chia̍h
Detailed etymology
definitions
adjective
- (of durians) delicious; tasty; yummy
- guaranteed to be easy; an easy win
- (betting) guaranteed to win
... along with more subtle distinctions. For example, bao jiak and ho jiak both mean "very good to eat", but bao jiak seems to specifically refer to durians.
— 2024, Oanh Ngo Usadi. Hawker Dreams: A Vietnamese American in Singapore. ISBN: 9780999882863. p.168