- Kiasu
Kiasu (
Traditional Chinese : 驚輸;POJ : kiaⁿ-su) is a Hokkien (a Chinese spoken variant) word that literally means 'fear of losing' (Mandarin Chinese: 怕輸). However its actual usage would imply a meaning more approaching that of "dog in a manger", and yet not quite. Examples of kiasu behaviour includes accumulating too much food on one's plate during a buffet lunch in case there is no more later, or joining a queue many days in advance just to ensure that one successfully gets hold of the limited free tickets to events, promotions and shows such as Singapore's annualNational Day Parade .This word is so widely used by
Singapore ans andMalaysia ns that it is incorporated into their English vocabulary (in the form ofSinglish ). It is often used in describing the social attitudes of people, especially aboutSouth East Asia n society and its values. Its widespread use is often because these attitudes are common—to not lose out in a highly competitive society (e.g. by above-cited examples), or to the extent ofparent s imposing heavy study labour on their children in their wish to make them at the very top of all other students. Growing up with this attitude, these students often become ambitious businesspeople, with the desire to be on top in wealth and prestige regardless of whether the most prestigious careers are aligned with their true capabilities.It is often perceived as part of
Ah Beng culture. The comic seriesMr Kiasu depicts many examples of kiasu behaviour.Trivia
The word kiasu was added to the
Oxford English Dictionary in 2007 [http://www.oed.com/help/updates/Prakrit-prim.html#oos quarterly update site] .ee also
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Kiasi
*Mr Kiasu
*Ah Beng External links
* [http://www.talkingcock.com/html/lexec.php?op=LexView&lexicon=lexicon&alpha=K&page=1 Definition of kiasu in The Coxford Singlish Dictionary at Talkingcock.com]
Bibliography
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*cite book |author=See, Ee Lin |authorlink=Ee Lin See |year=2005 |title=My Kiasu Teenage Life in Singapore |isbn=981-053-016-1
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