guai lan
English
Alternative forms
- kwai lan
Etymology
Derived from Hokkien 怪𡳞 (koài-lān, literally “strange dick”).
Pronunciation
- (Singapore) IPA(key): /ˈkwaɪ lɑn/
Adjective
guai lan (comparative more guai lan, superlative most guai lan)
- (Singapore, informal, colloquial) hard to please or satisfy; irritating, loathsome.
- 1999 May 23, “The Loanshark Look”, in The New Paper, Singapore:
- I'd say it's the "kwai lan" (gangster) look.
- 2003 July 21, Z-Bone, “Triple X Carsticker”, in Google Groups:
- you so guai lan for wat
- 2005 August 3, Joleen Lim, “guai lan”, in Blogspot:
- damn guai lan..cannot take it..
- 2013 March 20, JeevS GOne, YouTube:
- Tribute to my “guai lan” friend!
- 2013 September 3, The Marijuana Chronicles, Singapore:
- After all these years, the bugger still had the same kwai lan air he had even when he was fifteen.
-