Let's Take Hongkong's Word
By R. W. Thompson
HA
THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JULY
19, 1958,
ANOTHER SHORT STORY BY A HONGKONG AUTHOR
TAD it not been for tho disappointment about that part in the Victoria Amateur Group's produc-. tion of "The Shrew", this fairy story would never
Page
Talented Egoist 27fathoms
lave happened. Actually, to soul and artístic tempern- By-
use the word disappointment, and could lose herself, ment is an understatement completely in a' character! on the way Fenella felt Well, as the Producer said whèn she was turned down to his wife in the fastness in favour of that ghastly of their bodroom: "rd woman who thought so throw that little so and so
Elizabeth Beachim
much of herself; though Fenella Brown out, if I ond FR Angie orchid In 0 one had to admli sho had a didn't think she really hoa cellophano box at the end of the and all the lovely voice and, though talent. But my word, she performance,
carried herself needs to be crushed under dimeuitics of gelung
the Producer to see things her way,
yes, this one dil, for you re-
member that he had
observed
with who know, what at the lend of it all Fenella, though
onl
Д
COOLIE: This is the name given by Europeana in China and India loatative hired labourer or burden-carrier. It seems to be applied Indiscriminately to either, sex in Hongkong. It is
her, and recognised the glim- nometimen found in compounds such as earth-cootle, godown
And ho merings of talent, coolie. In the West Indies, where inuentured labourers from smallish,
sila and China were rettled in the Inst century, coolle in an beautifully. Abysmal des- the heel at least three times were forgotica. She had surely train her the hand way. He her and offered to falked insuiting name for Indian, as may be seen in the following pair would have been a bet- a day, How I'm going to made a terrine impact on this ruomised her nothing but hard Uno taken from Jamaleon folk-song:-"Sake a Coolle-man
ter description of her atop her loping across the disceming audience by her work, study, a tired mind and bangle, gal yo' character gaan." The etymology the word coolle in uncertain but it is surely to be found in the Indian misery.
stage like an unbroken colt performance. She would surely body from too much travelling, sub-continent. One explanation is that it was the name of an Aboriginal tribe from Guzerat whose members were employed However, rather bitterly, in only three more rehear, o farf
At the party which it was somewhat shocked at the offer In certain mental tasks. Another is that it is merely the Tamil sho went along showing Buls, God knowa
customary to hold- after the last o! Allee (the maid, with almost word for hire: Kull. The word is now in fact used in many of great confidênce, which she
performance of a play, Fenolls three lines to say) in "A the languages of Indin, An early English reference to coolle
was disturbed to find herself Woman of No Importance," had Es to be found in W. Bruton, in Hakluyt's Voraces (1083): He didn't feel, to the casting
pretty well Ignored, while the unbounded confidence In her Jent us horses to ride and Cowlem (which are Porters) to carry meeting of the rival drama
who was qulio mar potentially, With: the ofir goods." The following is a Hongking reference for 1078: society. She was-offered a
Somehow he did it, and it leading lady,
thirty-five and not in the least greatest dispatch, phe · flow The appellant, the Hon. Jullan Paunecfole, la the Attorney small part-the only one in so happened that on the last good looking, or talented, was hone winged feet and General for the Colony (Hongkong) and the spent the play really suited to a night of presentation, an. lapping up adulation from all tackled her parents 1[woka-Sing in a Coolte or labourer and native of China"
seventeen-year-old girl old friend of the Producer sides. PIL unfair," rait matter. She dragged them to COW CHILO: Girl. The word was on its way out in Leland's day Penella, smarting at what was
Fenella
im- to herself, and A in the audience.
see the Director, and in a trico und must now be obsolete in Hongkong.
she considered the Victoria theatre professional, who diately became disagreeable well, it seemed like a trico- in those around her. So that he had sold his iden to them. COW-OIL: Also cow-Frease. These are two old Pidgin words for Drama Group's slight to her had come to Hongkong to when some young man offered The child would be well
buiter and are translations from Cantonese,
histrionic ability, was re look-ace whether there was to take her home, her general chaperoned, there Wad CREVALLE: The #sh known by zoologists as Carangoldes mala-luctant to accept, but did a potential public for a pro he would suffer in a good cause, company, who also looked after rellef was evident. It was felt wardrobe mistrem with the baricus and by local fishemien as Bhul Tsing (water chrystal). so, hoping that she was hid- fessional Drama Group The spelling given here is taken from Herslots in Ling her outraged feelings which he proposed to form.
Well, the weeks went by-it the younger element. Cominion Martue Food-Fishes of Hongkong,
from the rest of the aspir- To tour the Far East, re- was summer-and summer k Cavally in a more usual spelling but forma such as cavallo, cavotie, anta.
turning to each Aolected Lazy lime in Hongkong for those who do not have to earn their cavala also necur in the English sources. The Portuguese name
And so, ut he conclusion of locale for
once in daily bread. for this fish is cavala,
a week
Fruella occupied three months.
herself in swiraming, spending the week's engagement in Hong-i Walching this amateur pro- long hours in admiration of her out. Fenella departed in a blaze cocktail of glory, Oh, nothing to do with duction proved to him that beauty, in going to Rehearsals started and as there was certainly a great necu partics, and snatching as many the theatre. Just that so many the weeks passed, Fenella's for a company of professionals, young men as were willing people were so glad to seo her CURIO; Leland thought it worth while recording this as a Pidgin pride received many an (to Though there was just that one or unwilling to be snatched, not they turned up at the
the less wary of her airport In droves. word, spelling it orcasionally enllo. He defined 1 ts queer,
ttle girl in the cust, who seem for old, strange, peculiar, curtosity. Curie-shop, he said, means her mind) undeserved blow, to have something. He won- friends, curiosity shop. I like one shop in Cat Street which usually It seemed that the Producer dere idly whether she had any containg a the collection of dragons, Birminghaun bric-a-bray did not agee with her inter. Ideas about Stage training, un and jodle, and boasts a large mailed over the entrance bearing pretation. But really, how was interested in the Producer's CUSPIDOR: A spilicon. Hobson-Jobson, with puristle zeal and could he possibly know whathaviour during rehearsals.
some inaccuracy says his word ought to mean "qule multum part of this description Fenella wis the proud spuit." But such perhuntry and dellency li qulle imniceerary entailed, for a girl who had recipient of six large bouquets There is a reference to cospider going back to 1554. Hobson- Jobson entalny, in fact, a wealth of material on the names given to this important receptacle over the last four centurica, Cuspider is of Portuguese origin, cuspir meaning to spli CUTSONI: Letart gives this as the Pidgin pronunciation of custom.
He quotes the expression "That blengey olo cutsom." DAYAL BIRD: Copsychus saularis to the ornithologist and chue shi ch'a (iseuk), plg manure bird, to many of the local country- folk, because of its hault of searching for maggots in dunghills. It is sometimes called the magpie-robin and is one of the most popular enge-birds in Hongkong since it is prized both in a singer and fighter.
CROAKER: Different kinds of Ireal fuh. The State-Cod Croaker i♫ called - Man Yue or Mo Sheung in Cantonese, The Japanese Croaker is To'ing Lo, Green Perch. The Yellow Croaker is Wong Fa Yuc, Yellow flower fish or Taat Wong Yue, Big yellow fish.
the income remark, Curious.
DEVILO: Or deblo. This is Leland's transcription of the older
•
BY
of her unco-operativu
THE WAY
by Beachcomber
the grudging
that
for
Three months went by. In' reply to occasional enquiries, Fenella'y soclusi butterfly mother replied that the company sent mowing reports of success. But nobody really knew what was There were times when even taking place, Then the line those who admitted her attrac- come for a return visit of the ticgs could have killed her. And "Travellers" to Hongkong. the constant cay among the This caused a slight stir amongst tanclents of between thirty and the local Thespiano,
of fifty was 'whatever la the child's whom were anxious to air their mother thinking of?' Especially knowledge of things theatrical those mothers of the plain or on the least provocation. It was seen by the playbills that the spotty variety of teenager.
part of the maid in the forth- coming production, would be Miss Fenella Brown, that ver- satile young actress of local
But it seems there's a law--- or a devil-or something equally resume to keep an eye on the Fenellas of this world.
own
اله
fame, There was 'a two' Inch single column in the Daily Star, lo remind us of past glories,
ElLook The thing that really
.first
Treppiest of all the shibbolethe retard man's efforts
For in the end, she got her smarily dressed men at to express himself to himself,
It happened this Fidain pronunciation of 'devit.'
Ascot was the poor fellow whose through, himself, for himself, by just deserts, DHODI: Ato spelt dhoby, This is the well-known Anglo-Indian benulfully rolled umbrella re- himself, in himsett The cen-way. The professional friend of
word for washerman and is a direct borrowing from Hindi, mained beautifully rolled all the walised ego is the last court of our Producer returned in everyone, though, was Fenella's Bernhardt Lelend records 11 for Pidgin but neither the name nor the afternoon,
personal appeal
appearance. umiram-course, having gathered together now face melied individuality
his 10 under occupation can be very conнnon in Hongkong today, since uny
'direction' n wouldn't have had a look in. work that cannot be lacitke by amahy can easily be handled by rolled he alone got drenched. The one that got away
When others reluctantly un- face with itself."
nuclous of keen, spirited and She was the dedicated Ichs the laundries.
experienced actors and actresses, supremei DIE-LO: A strange old Pidgin form meaning 'dle,
ifis umbrella was a dummy. He
THE trawler which caught capable of giving an excellent Her performance? Well, much DLINKEE: Leland's rendering of the Pidgin for drink. It represents had sacrificed utility to appear. T
and she has gone 1,900-ion submarine was variety of theatre, but short in as before. the untutored Cantonese attempt at the English pronunciation, ce, but he won Dee-ling-kee might have beeri Better,
admiration of all those who felt quite in unter to throw it back, numbers for anything requiring from strength to strengt
as it was a young one. It is a large cost. On arriving increasing the stature of her do- LOSE FACE:. Lose character, self-possession; to be disconcerted that he alone had the courage believed, by the kind of people Hongkong, the Director of the deation in the years which
The phrase is well-known in all parts of the English-speaking] te resis! Tatier cowprilly
ng they were have passed since her world. The old Pidgin vocabularies often spell it loosee fucey, impulse, which
made them who believe that kind of thing, "Travellers",
the skipper, having is known, rang up his friend the return to Hongkong. But, abe facie, facet. Cantonese: mo min tze.
feel badly dressed, Many of
to Producer, and said: “I need one is still playing he part of the home empty-handed FAN KUAI: Foreign ghost or devil. A disrespectful riame for them envied him when the line return
foreigner. The English have always liked this name and even come to close their umbrellas, his wife, bought a battleship. or two people for A Woman of mald. When the Director, found don't believe you No Importance. There were finally that he couldn't subdug
You stopped and any number of applicants, si Jer, he married her.
She Is. today it is often taken by European crews taking part in and coux them once more into conte, I dragon-boat races.
that perfection of tightness and caught that!
pro let me cee, thirty-one now, and Benuess which shows that they bought it at the shipmonger's, enxious to get a foot in
fessional productions. Fencila
a little brassy in self-defence. are not realty meant for use but on the way home."
was not one of them--thero wis
(Copyright) only for orangment.
The way to her heart nothing for her-lhe leading N article anys that actresses Intly was sure to be one of the A
much more serious-company. But when our Pro- WRITER'S plan for a minded than In the days when ducer rang up her home and expected flowers from told her that the Director of the religion without any non- they
ol creed,
catechism, their admirers. The other day a "Travellers" would be happy to her at his hotel, she got other irrelevant young blood left at the stage sce dogmo, or to English words even when it wasn't necessary, when speak accretions as a certain risem- door n design for a municipal)there, post haste. Well, that is, ing to Chinese. Belongee itself is a good example.
The object of his only two hours after the ap TITEE: An oli Pidgin word often speil Ike this and probably re-blance to e Neolst position, gasworks.
lated by folk etymology to fit in the mind of many an Eng-The Neoists claim that it is only love, when the design was taker painted time.
said to Now, this must be a fairy believing
one to her dressing-room, anything Kshman. It means hurry up and is the Cantonese fal ti by quicker (or hurry).
pleases that a truly free syn- her dresser: "The silly darling: story, for where would there As a He's just copied the Basingstoke hea Theatrical Director who FLAG FISH; Goniistium zonatis according to Herklots and Lin thesis can be arrived st.
But I love him all would consent even to see such who say that it is known as Sant To or Chaam Sam To (Three contemperaty thinker has well gasworkta.
n discouricous young lady? Ok sald: The shackles of outworn the same," cuta flah) by Hongkong fishermen.
TA SZ LING: Hongkong's Cantonese word for vaseline. IEI LAM: Hongkong's Cantoneso word for film.
CHE FEI: (bus, train) ticket. The second element is the English
Ture" as in muat fel. "lektets please (buy ticket). FINISHEE: Finish. Why do so many Pidgin words and in co: Forward with the Neoists
talkee, belongee, keci Simply because certain consonantal endings of English words were timpossible in the Cantonese system and delled Chinese writing by characters in any case, Nothing this, native-speakers of English have added -re sounds sense
TARGET
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HOW GAY
wonts or for setters a more can YOU MAKE From La
letters in die
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inter in rach at the smati pquares may be used ance only, acil word muat contain
1 Largo Itter In
square, and thera
ceaten
least the Dino-letter word in the fist. No plurals to forelan words Bo DEODET TODAY'S TARGET: 5G good
worda, aztallent.
on Monday.
YESTERDAY'S
very good I "Bolusion
panjen la benut TROULUN
Theast, best Mola barri desea bort bourn bout brud burst, burim barn burst Dayıt betan bue RENDUS VÕRK, ONYMUNION WA Dut rebbe rebat moet web pork slut
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