TERENGGANUSPEAK SURVIVAL GUIDE
Monday, January 24, 2005
Scene in Kedai Payang, Kuala Terengganu
The realist in some of the Terengganu people will prompt them to be brutally frank. But fear not, they are seldom frank to tourists and other visitors. To friends and relatives, you will hear them spout out their comments which you should very well give some thoughts to.
When pronouncing that something, even an idea,that they thought is very common and mundane they will retort with:
pat sepuloh, paso belambok
(It is 4 for 10 sen and there are plenty in the market).
So be careful when you want to show off something you THINK is unique. If you think your product, your idea can be sold or even your wishes can be fulfilled and your Terengganu friend thinks otherwise, he (or she) will say
lambat lagi
(equivalent to "in your dreams" or "not in a million years/in your lifetime"). This can be a useful response to suitor that you do not like. Use it sparingly though. If your USE BY date is fast running out and you can't afford to play hard-to-get, you might be warned that you might end up
peng lallat
(crowded by flies) , a fate I would not wish upon my worst enemy.
There are several phrases oft-used in competitions, whether sports or otherwise. When boys choose who they want to be in their team, the smallest boy is called
anok wek (small fry)
Two anak wek is worth one regular -size boy. If the team is too inferior and easily beaten, the team is called ayang bute (blind chicken) or worse, ayang mata dene (chicken with watery eyes). Some foreign teams might find this phrase useful to describe our national teams.
Have a Happy Thaipusam!
