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Singaporeans share & explain old-school local slang words 

A Redditor’s post asking about slang specific to older generations had Singaporean netizens bringing up some old-school expressions, like “tyco”, “obiang”, and “buaya”.

In the thread posted to the AskSingapore Subreddit on Monday (1 Sept), the Reddit user claimed they heard their grandfather using words they had never heard before.

As a result, they started a thread inviting others to share “Singapore slang that’s dying out with the older generations”.

What’s a piece of Singaporean slang that’s dying out with the older generation? byu/Keeponthesunnyside10 inaskSingapore

Netizens go down memory lane with sayings & expressions of earlier times

Netizens contributed a wide range of sayings and expressions, while others chimed in with questions about their meanings. Some also reminisced about the days when such expressions were commonplace.

“Obiang” was one such expression that emerged, with a user asking if it is still in use.

Source: Reddit

For the uninitiated, “obiang” meant old-fashioned or outdated, though there were conflicting reports on which generations were still using it.

Source: Reddit

A more unusual expression netizens brought up was “f*** spider”.

Source: Reddit

The saying’s origin was also unexpected — it was apparently derived from Australian slang.

Source: Reddit

“Tyco” — a way of calling something a fluke or luck-based — was another slang word that netizens were uncertain was still in circulation.

Source: Reddit

Another point of discussion for the expression was the demographic that used it.

Source: Reddit

“Buaya” was another old-fashioned saying that came up.

Though it meant crocodile in Malay, to call someone a “buaya” in earlier generations implied they were a flirt.

Source: Reddit

Netizens ponder about decline of old-school local slang

Naturally, some questioned why such phrases had faded from use

Source: Reddit

A netizen theorised that the decline of such slang words was due to the growing westernisation of younger generations.

Source: Reddit

Also read: ‘HMV, Tamiya cars & meeting at last cabin of MRT’: S’poreans recall teenage years before social media

‘HMV, Tamiya cars & meeting at last cabin of MRT’: S’poreans recall teenage years before social media

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