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Let's Take Hongkong's Word
By R. W. Thompson
BY'M BY: Byc-nud-by, or any future time or occasion; after; after- wards; again. All these meanings are given by Lelard. Post- seripli Comments, criticism and correction are welcome in this column and I am always delighted to hear from readers. One face going reader reminded me the other day that a pony in its first year in Hongkong is called a grims. This was also Pelting usage. Another reader wrote to me about pidgin joan word in Cantonese. I give you Hongkong's word-you give
me yours.
́ ́ 1958. THE CHINA MAI, SATURDAY, AUGUST 2,
Another Short Story by a Hongkong Writer
Page 5 |
Katherine The Great 27fathoms
KA
“ATHERINE hesitated with her hand pressed By-
* soulfully against my 'door-panol as I tried, without too much violence, to open it for her going. "Well, goodnight, Kathy," I murmured, and then, hypocritically, "Sorry we've got to break this up. But I had promised "
ed.
George Ramage
Katherine half- turned, rang off with an audibly reluc I drifted away casually, and some hauteur, "I have a couple Now or three bones to picks with and with an anguished tant sigh. The friends buve. bumped into Stephen.
friends have, he's not too bad, really, He's you," I said, rather, heavily one of the many husbands Sho looked alerted but not db. Giselle look, carefully took The friends my my hand from the door the bell at Margaret's being groomed for stardom by mayel Wint are you drinking.
I rang knob, "Parting is such (and Stephen's) Blick-O shack. their wives. Doing the right Jimmy?" she asked, too aweetly. she moan- I think you ought to visualise things, mying the right words,. Never mind what I'm drink-
this bijou residence. In on joining the right clubs. Some- sweet sorrow,"
times, oven, quite by mistake, island where apnee is at a pre-
ever that means. Occasionally, mum it makes do with a mere meeting the Right People, what two percs of grounds trimly
by accident, meeting' Mo, comprises. rimly kept.
the agente would say, now. He throw back his handle bedrooms. six
four
with a torily living-, bar moustaches
grin and offered me a drink, their four. He has his moments. rooms, a study, a sun loggia, a rumpus room for Marlian offspring, kidney-
they com- shaped swimming pool, and a conservatory. And
"It is that, dear," I agreed, but I did promise" Two large formed in her doc-like tears eyes. With a gesture of eternal forgiveness she handed back to me a box of comshaw chocolates which she had casually filched from my sideboard. As I raised my eyebrows questioningly sho dropped her shoulders dejected- ly, diasped her hands like a praying mantle, and commented, Rich gifts was poor when givers prove unidad" and the fears began their journey.
and
I
Д
plain of claustrophobla, although I feel it's largely matrimonial
Ing, you hussy," I snapped. Tite in "come party, na well here to an impromptu affair" It's you know. First you cajole me
obvious As when it's quite
fully organised." She tried to interrupt but I shushed her with a Caesarean gesture. Then
Margaret sailed up, informed me graciously that I was for given, and straightened Stephen's the with wifely 30- licitudo, "Come and meet your new girl friend," she ordered, and tucked my left arm under her right elbow.
Clamped in effective grip, tagged
along.
CANDARIN: An old coin once known in Hongkong and equal to one penny or one Chinese fan according to Leland. Hobson- Jobson mays that it is derived from the Malayan kanduri. In fact most of the English and Portuguese humes for Chinese tradt- tional welghia, measures and currency are of Malayan or Javanese origin. The candarin weighed one-hundredth of the Chinese ounce and as a weight was also called tahil. Fryer (1073) gives the following table of Chinese weights. It will be noted that not one of these weights is given its Chinese name, All, In fact, carry the English equivalents of the terms used in the Malayo-Portuguese linfua franca, Cattee is nearest 18 Taies. 1 Teen (Tai?) is 10 Mass. 1 Mass in Sliver is 10 Quandreens. 1 Quandreen is 10 Cash. 733 Cash make 1 Royal. 1 Kruin English Weight in 2 Cash. This table was
I kept quite calm. Gin and So, I rang the bell. The printed in Hobson-Jobson. In that most valuable reference
opened up, grinned, this imminent-House-boy work an extract from A. Nunes (1554) has it that "in Malacca
sympathy the weight used for gold, musk, &c. the cate, contains 20 1aels, typhoon (meteorological) always put his nager to his lips, sald, cach laël 10 mazes, each max 20 cumduryns; also 1 paust 4
affected her this way. I knew Shush," and guided me to the mazes and each maz 4 cupoings: Cocks, the Englishman, who the signs, I knew the sequel, royal presence. He opened the on the left, and has given us a few vivid snap-shots of early Maeno is also knew my duty. So, with an fourth door
It was a quoted (1015); "We bought 5 greate square postes of the understanding, brotherly smile motioned me in. Kinges master carpenter; cosi 2 mas 6 condrins per pecce."
the room 1 knew well, but not like her gently by
darkness, ex* The Portuguese name is condorim, and in the eighteenth een-shoulders, pulled her away from this. I was in tury Ao Men Chi Luch or Gazetteer of Macao, which con- the door, and purred. "Now ba cept for a globule of light on a talian glossary of the Portuguese dialect of that place, we
Ag a good girl."
centre table. And, near have, opposite the rubric fan, three characters which, read in
By the time she'd thought out ments of that incandescence, the Cantonese fashion, are kong let liu, which is an attempt to
a Shakespeare tag-line I'd got circle of blobs of lard, which, as the represent the pronunciation for Chinese customs officers and
door
and And I focussed, turned out to be others.
manoeuvred her out through the materialised, I suppose I should Kap. This was the crisis, I knew say-human(sic) facts. I ad- oh so well. She leaned on me vanced, more or less, in echelen and gave me her I'm-being- as a sublimated volce I barely terribly-brave profile. "Why recognised as Margaret's in- are you so unbelievably cruett toned, "Hieronimo, conjure up sho walled, "Jimmy, why are my paternal grandfather." There was an expectant pause. It you?" and broke into a Carmen
seemed a good moment to make Bt of coughing.
my entrance.
CASION: À Syncupation of occasion with the same meaning of that of reason, 'chure. The following example of its use is printed by Leland. You no casion makes se fashion,
INSIDE: Inside he heart, Inside he mind are two of Leland's Pid-
gin phrases for 'secretly in his mind, lo himself, reserved Others uses illustrated by Leland Include You belongy smart Inside, you are intelligent He also reports that "a Chinese on being shown the picture of a locomotive at once remarked, Ilab got too much plenty all-ome Inside. We have many such in the laterler of China." Room Inside, inside the room. Many such expressions are direct translations from the Chinese. HWAMEI: Trochalouteran canorum canorum, a singing bird also noted for its ablilty us a Aghter. Herklots in Hong Kong Birds, 3rd, impression, 1054, says that its name means beautiful sy
brown.
IN SHOH: Án Engilsh loan-word in Hongkong Cantonese, It
means Insurance.
I 1003
open
I didn't see why she should log the quotations, so I patted her in the obvious place, said, rather plously, "Cruel to be klad, my dear, and looked nigh unio tears myself. 1 worked, as, of course, I knew it would.
her could see You taking the bit in her teeth, you finer nature asserting lot, "I'm a beast. Goodnight, Jimmy," she said in ringing tones, beckoned me imperiously back, and strode away with alcoholle delibera-
IRON FACE: Old Pidgin for storn, obdurate, cruel or severe ac- could almost feel her
cording to Leland. It is the Cantonese Tet Mbr.
JOBS: This word can mean a god, an idol, or luck. It is used to
form compounds such as fosa-house, temple, church, 10s house-man, person, Joss-plagin, religion, joss-pidgin-man bonze, priest, clergyman. The word seems to be Portuguese in origin. It is Deus or dialectai Dles God, and is believed to have enrried to the China coast from Buntam or Balavio where a Portuguese dialect survived until recently and where Por- tuguese had a marked influence on the lexicon of several local Janguages. The Javanese equivalent is dejos which was borrowed by the Dutch as Joosje.
JUNK: Used to describe many kinds of large Chinese boats of traditional construction. The name appears under forms but it is probably related to Javanese djont and Malay adjong. The earlier Engilsh forms are Indirect borrowings through other European languages. Eden (1555), for example, in a transla- tion from the Italian, writes of lunche. K'AAT PIN: Visiting card in Hongkong Cantonese, Kado for
cardo) means card (especially playing-card) In Tidgin da p KA FE; Coffee. A loan-word from Portuguese? Many western languages "borrowed" this word from Arable where it means drink.
KA FE KOON: is often used in Hongkong for Cafe.
KA LE: This is the Tamil kari borrowed in Hongkong by Can-
tonese-speakers vin English curry.
8
A British Crossword Puzzle
16
18
19
120
21
27
₤25
127
ACROSS
3 Reflected (8).
Military assistant. (4),
O Taking exercise in the main
(0),
11 Orientals whose nights were
entertaining (8).
1 It's a sin (4).
18 Visit often) (8).
18 For night travellors (8),
19 A spirit plant (4)
21 Ailments (0).
25 Quite obvious. (8).
26 Joy in the air (4).
27 Generalship (0).
26
DOWN
10 mein? (4).
2 Original suggestion (4).
4 One of the U.S.A: (4),
5 Batters, perhaps (4).
Be a monarch (5)..
7 Canine (5),
A nasal cavity (5),
10. Vacuous (5)."
124
12 Comparatively uncommon
(5).
14 Literary work (0).
10 But not Dorls? (0),
17 Two-way prinello (3),
10 Hoard a lot (5).
20 A cut above the ordinary?
(6).
21 Oh, bother) (4),`
22 Nice and comfortablo (4).
28 Fish often tinned (4).
24 Get rid of a loạd?” (4).
FRIDAY'S CROSSWORD. Acro:-1 Chance, 4 Purape, 7, Entr'aels, & Capri, ' Meteor, 11 Pushing, 13 Pronte, 10 Editor, 18 Recye, 10 A-version, 20. Huaky, 21 8-ketch, Dow Chem, 2 Nurse, Exce-r-pt, 4 Pitcos, Misprint, Siding, 10 Two beads,
12 Use-lets, 18 Parish, 1 Ideals, 10 issue, 17 Ranch.
Lion
I
put you in the
am #
bachelor,
Let me picture reasonably young, reasonably alive, reasonably well-fixed as regards dollars HK, Not for me the bacchanalian spreca of clubland where the pipes of Pan are muted to the twang of a tennis racquet. I am, I indst, a lamb in wolf's clothing. And Katherine? You do well to ask. She is ecstatically you, dotes on the Bard, loves only those who refuse to admit her allure, has a gaucherie which quite alluring, and eries in her drink. Does that
the situation? help clarify ders? Good.
It
this Now I had planned particular evening a quiet Hong- kong bachelor retreat from the cares of this stupid world. This Kathy interlude, you may think, was a fair start. After her dramatle departure I closed the door softly, turned the key gently, and set course for my favourite chair, not forgetting to collect bottle, glass, book, and
Tho cigarettes on the way.
gods roared with laughter and the telephone clanged Hite a fre alarm. I looked at that monstrous instrument, that dia- bolic invention, und said, more la panic than in, angar, "When sorrows come, they coma not single sples, but in "batiallons!" and fell I'd levelled the score with dear Katherine. With the telephone so insistent, this was a moment of destiny. Was I to bo IN or OUT? I decided IN, ified the receiver, growled, "Roberts," and walted.
A mellifluous, utterly feminino voice at the other and sald,
"Put down that Ming vase, Stephen, or F'll scream for the Police."
"Hello, Margarel," this, with- out hesitation, from me,
and "Hello, Jimmy," from her, without a tremor, ant then straight into her play. Jimmy," tho cooed, "Stephen and I won- dered if you could come to dia- ner tonight. Of course, ito awfully short notice, but it is one of those impromptu affairs, and it's mostly people you know, and there is one giri —, I had already counted Ten and breathed heavily.
"Margaret," I articulated, and my restraint was, I 'hopo, ob vious, "pomeone has let you down, you're an odd number, I'm an unattached bachelor with an eye for a prissy girl, so spare me the hoho and tell me what time," She had the price, zaro indeed hereabouts, to round a
Hitle embarrassed. "Eight o'clock. You're an an- go. Don't dress," she caution- ed. "What is H," I quoried with Glibertins bita which never seems to register, "a pidlar party? Bhogiggled, divinely,
Jimmy" And
A
I stepped into the circla of, light. "Ohhh!" gasped "My Margaret.
goodness!" yelped a falsetto male voice. "Grandpa Roberts in pereon," announced gravely. was not funny, although as an ice
breaker
of
tho
D
1
cope with a mumbo-jumbo seanco and Rupert 1210 Lin menace, and now I find that the poor little forlorn girt I was to caretake ia awamped by an avalanche, of males, innumer- able, lascivious. Talk yourself out of that, Delilah." I glared at her rather sternly. She took- ed back at me and was without word, "Well, speak up, lass," 1 snorted kindly, "this is a de- mocracy." She was, I am plous- ed to say, thoroughly demoralis- ed
do
cm
We left Hieronimo's hideaway and crossed the hall to the main living-room. Now this has to be seen
It's to be believed. designed for gracious living". It has three scarlet walls, one "There's nothing I can black. There are tricksy bam- about Her at all," she moaned, boo lamps, a nostalgic cabinet and with an Academy Award Resture of defeat sho motioned of homeside' treasures, and
to the castern wall of the room. collected medley mementoes of Near, Middle, There, indeed, was anger and For East. backed by masse. A battery of females numerous pieces of genuine with tight, jealous faces, and
thin, angry
out lips, ficking Birmingham Kasbah ware.
words, and bwirling is, in fact, semi-baroque with wedding rings, Inspiration came. touch of pseudo-modern. The Tell me, dear," I asked, "are the wives of the mob guests, including myself, har- these manfaed skilfully with the surrounding Hor?" She nodded decor. As I tripped over an mutely. Then all is forgiven, elephant's foot which had, ap-
dear Margarot," I said. "My duty parently, strolled casually into 15 clear. Fro-four-three-two- the centre of the floor, I was one-zero-boom!" frozen in a zany arabesque pose by a shocked Yma Sumac yelp of "My dear good man, that ther
!
Dag
It
the
The situation was saved by Margaret's gay, trilling laugh in my left ear. I ENT spociollet tomorrow. Margaret's gay, trilling laugh has the decibel quality of Chinese opera gong. She drew mo, ovny. Do come and meet Her?" and whispered salaciously.
their
And with that I cleaved my way through the throng around Her. I did wonder what the and that the others hadn't. I was soon to know, for as I broke the inner ranks I heard the voice declaiming, "Romeo, thou, Romeo, wherefore art
Ed thene WEB Romeo?" Kathering, eyes closed eastati- of cally, bosom heaving, out this prosaic work. I advanced, said conversationally to the rabble, "Back, dogs," and took Kathy by the art.
I've known worse. There was a tremulous murTour from the acolytes, and nn. icy "Lights!" from Margaret. Miraculously and soulless there came light, and with it my hostess rose, shook her head
to disperse the auro,
"Jimmy." she gushed, you had us guessing for a (ponent, Now you simply must meet everybody." And I did, includ- ing a Rupert, Brooke character who looked at me in horror and 'squealed, "My dear fel ow --that tel" I looked critically down at my tie. There it was, dark green, much loved, quite "What's strained I thought, the matter with 11?" I growled. Herror obviously almost made
im swoon. "That te," he re- ball huddle it was, as Margaret and, pressing her nose against pented, "I just isn't you, not gently briefed me, my fair lady mine, puched me inexorably match rounded by admirers. I backwards, doorwards, mutter- you at all," placed a
"For this rellet, much carefully in his mouth, and looked at Margaret; Stephen's Ing proceeded to strike a cigarette, wife, the mother of four with thanks,""
"Kathy," I sald urgently, and her eyes flickered open. This mixture of high Intrigue Kathy repeated, "that was and What-the-Butler-Sow I beautiful. I didn't know you found a little heavy going, but cared. Let us depart and find shame on me-I did allow further inspiration elsewhero,” Margaret to crook her little As the All-American footballers finger in mine and lend me, returned sheepishly to their glimpse of with true Restoration shame squawa, I caught a lessness to my assignation,
Margaret's tender, mproving Before, me I could see what smile as Katherine clutched me shoulder, I took to be an American foot possessively by the
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Larry
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