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Culture

Cantonese Slang of the Week: Jump the Fuse

By Jenny Leung 22 November 2018
Made-up vocabulary only known to locals, words that consist of a mix of both English and Chinese, and double-entendres that make absolutely no sense – these are just a few of the things that make Cantonese one of the hardest languages to learn. So, we thought it was about time we gave you folks a quick lesson on some funny terminology, common phrases, and the latest Internet slang. We guarantee it will score you a few extra points with the locals!

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jump the fuse cantonese hong kong slang localiiz of the week

Jump the Fuse | "Tiu Saai Zai"

Fed up of rude people walking into you on the street? Or is your annoying colleague getting on your nerves? Then "Tiu Saai Zai" is the perfect phrase to describe your frustration. Directly translated as "jump the fuse", the expression is used by many locals when they've simply had enough, and are about to blow up with rage – similar to how a fuse or circuit may blow when it exceeds capacity.

Example: "An old lady bumped into me, spilled coffee all over my new dress, and shouted at me to be careful – I'm so Tai Saai Zai right now!"
Read more! Discover more funny stories about Hong Kong.

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Jenny Leung

 Senior editor

Born in Hong Kong and raised in the UK, Jenny grew up with the best of both worlds. She loves just about anything to do with music and doesn’t shy away from belting out a tune or two when it comes to karaoke. If she’s not out and about exploring the city and practising her photography skills, she’s probably tucked up in bed with a book or glued to her laptop doing her online shopping.

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