I was checking store locations for Giordano Concepts (and G2000 for Raymond's slim man workwear) and came across this jaunty man in his U GUT I GUT t-shirt. And then I noticed the word bubbles behind him and thought ... WTF! Collect skin! Sounds so gory! A friend theorized that it might mean 'to high five.' I was picturing something more Austin Powers.
Luckily, Urban Dictionary translated for me. It means 'sau pei'!!! Now it all becomes clear, right? That means 'shut up' in Cantonese slang! I know that phrase in Cantonese but I never read or wrote it, or even thought about translating it. When I first went to Hong Kong, there were all kinds of phrases that I learned, used, and never dissected. Cantonese slang is famous for being extensive, pervasive, and quick to change. 'Pok gai' goes from 'fall on the street', to 'I hope you die on the street' to 'bastard' in a matter of weeks!
No comments:
Post a Comment