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Au-sai: outside.
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Bad heart: used to express all forms of evil-mindedness. "You belongey too muchee bad heart."
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Banjee: musical group.
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Barbly, babble: noise. "Too muchee barbly", too much noise.
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Before-time: formerly; once; previous; previously.
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Belongey, blongy, blong: indicates 'pertaining to' in a very wide sense. Also applied to quality. "You belongey too muchee saucy, galaw.": You are being too sassy. "My belongy Consoo boy": I am the Consul's servant. "You belong clever inside": You are intelligent. "You belongy foolo?": are you full?
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Bizui!: shut up!
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Bobbery: (pron. bobbely), robbery, but extended to signify every kind of noise, disorder, quarrel, disagreement, fuss, and trouble. "T'his my flin, he wantchee makee one littee piecee pidgin long-side you. S'posey you cheatum, my makee big bobbery wit' you."
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Boilum: to boil. "My boilum tea".
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Bottom-side, below: down ; under ; low.
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Bund: quay; embankment.
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Bunder: a report; canard; a story which has obtained currency on the quay or bund.
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By'm'by: by-and-by, or any future time or occasion; after; after wards; again.
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Cab-tun: captain.
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Callee: curry. .
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Can do: yes, and many forms of ability or possibility. E.g., Can you? Is it possible? It is possible. A mandarin seeing a small English sailor thrash a large one, exclaimed, "Hai yah! littee man can do." "My no can do that " may mean "I will not do it."
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Cango: a kind of couch or litter, carried under a pole by two men.
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Cangue: a frame used to confine prisoners; a kind of movable stocks, through which the head is passed.
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Cash: the only current coin in China, value one-tenth of a penny. In Chinese, Li. One one-thousandth part of an ounce or tael of pure silver; a brass coin with a square hole.
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'Casion, occasion: reason; cause. "You no 'casion makee so-fashion."
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Catchee: to get; have; own; possess; hold. "My look-see one piecee man catchee chow-chow": I saw a man eating. "My catchee waifo": I am or am to be married. "My no catchee one frin inside allo that housee": I have not one friend in all that family.
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Catty: A Chinese weight equal to about 1⅓ pounds avoirdupois, or about 605 grams. Mandarin jin.
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Chair: a sedan-chair.
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Cliee: long. Probably an abbreviation of muchee.
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Chee, or Jee: the common termination for words ending in 't' or 'd', e.g., want = wantchee.
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Chessy: chest; box.
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Ch'hoy: a meaningless, but common and very expressive, interjection.
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Chilo: child.
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Chin-chin: to worship (by bowing and striking the chin); to reverence; adore; implore; to deprecate anger; to wish one something; invite; ask. A corruption of the Chinese salutation "Ch'ing ch'ing", signifying to pay respects, farewell, etc.
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Chinee, Chinese: Chinaman.
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Chit: a letter, note, IOU, or any informal communication.
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Chop: inscription; label; stamp; device; motto; ticket; characteristic. "Numpa one first-chop": best. A trade-mark, mark or brand. To "chop" means to affix one's seal stamp on the thing chopped.
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Chop-chop: quick; quickly; fast.
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Chow: food; to eat, to have a meal. In Mandarin, chihfahn.
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Chu-shung (correctly, Sheon-chu-shang): " you little beast," or animal.
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Colo: cold.
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Come-this-side: arrived here. "Just now hab 'got two piecee joss-house-man come-this-side": Two missionaries have arrived.
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Compradore: steward. In Mandarin, mi-palm. The Chinese agent in a foreign firm, though whom the foreign firm transacts much of its business with Chinese and who often guarantees the credit of the firm's Chinese customers.
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Consoo: consul.
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Coolie: common man; laborer. The appelation for the unskilled laborer of China.
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Cot-houso: court-house.
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Cow-oil, or cow-grease: butter. Obsolete, but literally translated from the Chinese word for butter.
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Curio: curiosity; queer; odd; strange; peculiar.
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Curio-shop: curiosity-shop.
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Cumshaw: a present. A gratuity or tip.
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Custom: custom, applied to law and habits, etc. "T'hat blongey olo custom."
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Devilo, Debilo: devil.
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Die-lo, die: died.
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Dlinkee: to drink.
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Dollar: money or wealth is generally expressed by dollar. "He no hab catchee dollar": He made no money.
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Dong ma?: do you understand?
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Ee: a common termination put at will after almost any noun or verb. Walkee, talkee, fishee, dog-gee.
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Ee-sheung: clothes.
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E-ta-lee-kwoh: Italian. E-ta-lee-kwok-kung-kwan, the Italian Consulate.
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Facee, face: character; self-possession. "Loosee facey", to loose character; to be put to shame; to be disconcerted.
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Fai, Fy: a fire.
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Fai-tee: quickly! be quick!
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Fa-ke, American i.e., flower-flag. Fa-ke-ling-se-koon, the United States Consulate.
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Fa-ke-kwok, flower-flag-nation, the United States.
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Fa-lan-sai: French. Also flan-sai, fran-sai.
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Fan-kwel: foreign devil i.e., a foreigner.
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Fan-yun: foreign man; foreigner.
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Fasson: fashionable.
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Fa ts'al! get rich ! A common courteous greeting.
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Fei-chaw-shang: the green-tea country.
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Feng-shuey: the geomantic influences of the earth, influencing lucky or unlucky places; luck or fate; elemental and occult influences.
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Finishee: the common word for completed, done, finished, or accomplished.
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First-chop: best ; first.
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Fi-sze: fishee, fish.
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Flin: friend.
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Flower-flag-man: American.
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Flower-heart: i.e., many hearts; fickle; wavering; generally said of lovers.
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Fo: four.
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Foo-lin, flin: friend.
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Foolo, fool: full.
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Foong-shun: "The Sailors' Home."
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For-what?: what for? why?
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Fowl: fowl.
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Fung: male.
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Fung-hwang: the phoenix; a fabulous bird, the token of prosperity and happy omen; majesty; grace.
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Galanti, grand: great.
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Galaw, galow, gala, gola, g'low: a word without meaning, used as an interjection.
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Girley: girl.
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Glound (i.e., ground or earth) chit: a telegram.
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Go: used to indicate the future tense. "You go make that ting?": Do you mean to do that?
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Go-down: warehouse; small house, etc. This word is always used in China in place of the word "warehouse".
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Golo: gold; golo-man, jeweller.
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Good-talkee, velly good-talkee: an excellent opinion or expression; eloquence.
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Good wind! Good water!: a farewell to a friend starting on a journey.
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Got: there is.
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Griffin: one newly arrived; a greenhorn (Anglo-Indian). A newcomer to China, equivalent to a freshman at college.
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Hab: have.
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Hab-got: is; there is; has.
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Hak-cha: black tea.
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Ha-loy: come down.
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Handsome talkee: fine, agreeable, or ornate language.
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Ha-sze-man: i.e., has-a-man, husband.
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Have got wata top-side: mad; insane; foolish.
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Haw: to drink.
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He: used for he, she, it, or they; often includes is.
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He-foo: rise-fire i.e., a rocket.
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Hing-ki-chi, Han-ker-choo: handkerchief.
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Ho: river.
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Hoan-lam: the Pencil Forest i.e., the highest degree of literary graduates.
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Ho-lan-kwoh (kwok): Dutch.
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Hong, haling: a warehouse; applied specially to the great firms which formerly regulated all Chinese commerce. A mercantile house.
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Hoong: red.
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Hop: half, halve, have.
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Hop pi-tsin: i.e., hab pidgin, have business.
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Hop-tai: i.e., hab die, dead.
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Hop-time: leisure.
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Houso: house.
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How: good.
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How-fashion: what for? why? what is the meaning? "How fashion you stop out so late?"
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How-tak-tsei: very good.
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Hwan: fire.
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Hwan-na-kou: foreign dog.
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Im-koy: thank you.
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Ing-ki: ink.
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Ink-e-li: English. In Mandarin, ying kwo.
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Inside, in-sy: within; in; interior; heart; mind; soul; in the country. "You belongy smart inside": You are intelligent. A Chinese, on being shown the picture of a locomotive, at once remarked, "Hab got too much plenty all-same inside": i.e., "We have many such in the interior of China."
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Inside he heart: same as "inside he mouth."
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Inside he mouth: secretly in his mind ; to himself ; reserved.
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Iron-face: stern; obdurate; cruel; severe.
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Jah: to fry.
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Jih-zee-pah-nee-ah: Spain.
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Jin-rick-sha: rickshaw.
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Jin-rick-sha-man: a man who draws the jin-rick-sha.
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Joss, josh: god ; idol, etc. (From the Portuguese dios). A Chinese idol; also used as synonymous with luck, as "good or bad joss."
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Joss-house: temple; church.
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Joss-house-man: clergyman.
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Joss-pidgin: religion.
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Joss-pidgin-man: a bonze; priest; clergyman.
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Junk: a Chinese sailing vessel, particularly the sea and large river-going varieties.
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Ka-lin: to call.
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Kana-man: gunner; artillerist.
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Kilin, kleen: green.
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Kittysol: the Chinese umbrella made of bamboo.
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Ko-hom: return
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Ko-lock: clock.
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Kong: a water-vat.
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Kow-tow: to incline before; bow. The ceremony of bowing or prostration in paying obeisance. It is also used in the expression of ceremonious thanks.
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Kuk-man: a cook
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Kung-kwan: consulate.
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Kwei: a devil; devils.
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Lahnt'o: lazy.
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Lain: rain.
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La-li-loong: a thief; thieves.
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Lan-tun: London.
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Largee, largey, largo ('g' soft): much; great; magnanimous; loud. "My largo man, my have catchee peace, my have catchee war."
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Lau-tai: a ladder.
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Lay: thunder.
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Li: a Chinese mile (pron. lee).
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Lira: eleven.
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Littee: little.
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Long-side: with; by; near; accompanying.
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Look-see: look; behold; appear like; see; appreciate; understand.
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Loosee: to lose. "Loosee facee" i.e., face, to be dishonoured or shamed; to lose reputation.
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Love-pidgin: love; courtship; wooing; tenderness.
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Love-love-pidgin: sensuality; voluptuousness. Applied to erotica in books or art.
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Lowdah: captain of a junk, or servant in charge of a house-boat.
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Ma-chin: merchant.
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Mafoo, horse-boy: groom. "Talkee mafoo to come chop-chop!" A Chinese butler or groom.
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Mai-pan: compradore.
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Makee: to make; do; effect; cause e.g., "Suppose you makee buy." It is almost generally prefixed to verbs to make them active.
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Mandarin: a high state official or grandee. From the Portuguese.
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Maskee: all right; correct; never mind; notwithstanding; nevertheless; however; but; anyhow. This word is used in a very irregular manner.
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Massa: the common word for master.
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Ma'ta: mother.
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Melican: American.
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Missee: miss, young lady.
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Mississee: mistress.
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Molo-man: a negro (i.e., a Moor).
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Moon-pidgin: monthly.
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More-betta: superior, better. "My more-betta go 'way".
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Muchee: very; intensified as muchee-muchee.
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My: my; I; me; mine. Sometimes we, our, or ours.
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Nai-foo: knife.
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Nee hao: hello.
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Nep-fa-lan: Netherlands.
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Nightey: night.
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No-belong leason (i.e., reason): it is not reasonable.
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No-can: it is not good; I cannot; it will not do; impossible.
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No can do: cannot. "No can do?": can you not?
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No fear!: in very common use in Pidgin-English.
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No-hab: without
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Nother: another; other.
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Nother-time: again.
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Not ought: should not. "You not ought makee so fashion."
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Numpa one: number one; first-class; very. "Dat tea belongey numpa one" i.e., best. A Chinese servant being asked if a certain person lived in the house, replied, "Hab got top-side t'hat numpa one ugly Englishee lawyer, all-same so-fashion," accompanying the description with a significant grimace.
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Olo: old.
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One piecee: one piece; one; a; an. "You catchee one piecee wifey?" Are you to be married, or, Have you a wife?
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One-time: once; only.
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Osso! or ossoty!: be quick! make haste!
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Outside: foreign.
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Outside old river: the Yang-tse-kiang.
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Owmoon: Macao.
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Pay: to give; bring; deliver; transfer; as well as pay. "My pay fie," I gave him.
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Pecul: In commerce, an Indian measure, equal to 100 catties [vide catty], or 132 Ibs. avoirdupois."
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Pidgin: business; affair; occupation; a word of very general application e.g., joss-pidgin, religion; chow-chow-pidgin, eating or cookery.
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Play-pidgin: sham; humbug.
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Plenty: much; very; very much. "He makee walkee plenty high."
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Plopa: proper; commonly used for good, right, correct, well, or nice, in the most extended forms. "Dat allo pfopa pidgin": That is all right.
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Poo-poo: purple.
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Pukkha: true; real; genuine; best quality; the real thing.
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Punkah: a machine for fanning.
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Rikshaw: a two-weeled vehicle pulled by a rickshaw-coolie. There are 20,000 in use on the streets of Peking, and probably more on the streets of Shanghai.
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Room-inside: within. Pronounced loom-inside,
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Russki: Russian.
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Same: generally used with all, all-same, which see.
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Sam-pan: a Chinese boat. A small flat-bottomed boat generally propelled by man power and used for passenger-carrying purposes.
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Sam-shoo: rice spirits.
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Sassee: Sassy, saucy; proud. "You belongey too-muchee sassee, galaw."
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Sa-van: servant.
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Savvy: know ; understand. "No savvy?": do you not know? Used in the widest sense.
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Sailiman: sailor.
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Selum: sell.
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Se-wei-tun: Sweden.
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Sha-man: servant.
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Shleep: sleep.
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Shmallo: small; mean; small-minded.
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Sojerman: soldier.
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Shpeakee: to speak.
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Sick: out of order ; out of repair.
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Side: place; country; situation. "What side you blongey?" Where is your home? "He hlongey China-side now" He is in China. Side qualifies prepositions and adverbs e.g., top-side, above, or high ; bottom-side, far-side, beyond; this-side, here.
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Sikkan-mit: second mate.
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Sixee: six.
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Sing-song: any dramatic or musical entertainment; a song; ballad; poem.
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Sing-song-houso: a theatre.
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Smellum-water: eau-de-Cologne ; perfume. "Pay my that smellum-water!"
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Spoilum: injure; to injure; rotten; decayed; broken. Very extensive in its applications.
-
Squeeze: a fine or imposition.
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Supposey: suppose; if; admit. A word of very general application.
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Sycee: silver; boat-shaped silver ingots bearing merchants' stamps.
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Tael: a Chinese silver coin
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Tai-pai: a large ticket; a great chop.
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Tai-pan: a head man; a "boss." Literally "great manager"; the head or manager of a foreign mercantile establishment.
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Tai-yun: great man ; excellency.
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Tak-ta: doctor.
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Talkee: tell; say or talk; inform; ask. "He talkee my no can do": He told me it was impossible. Talkee-lesson i.e., talk reason, moral or literary discourse; wise maxims or extracts.
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Ta-mei-kwoh-tsung-ling-sze-yamun: the United States (American) Consulate General.
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Tanka: egg-house i.e., a boat in which people live.
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Tan-kwoh: Danish.
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Tau-shan: thousand.
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Tau-ti: civil governor.
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Ta-ying-ling-shi-shu: the British Consulate.
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Ta-ying-sho-sun-kwan: the British Post Office.
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That: often used as indicating in Pidgin-English when it would be omitted in ordinary English e.g., that man, he.
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That-same: that.
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That-side: there.
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That-time: then; when.
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This-side: here. "Hab makee stop t'his side."
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Tiffin: lunch. (Indian)
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Time: time; is employed with all adverbs of time.
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Tin: thin i.e., light, not heavy.
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Ting: thing.
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Tinkee: think.
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Tin-mak: Denmark.
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Toi-tche: German i.e., Deutsch.
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Too: very. "You too bad."
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Too-muchee: very; excessive. "You too-muchee hansom": You are very bandsome.
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Top-side: above; on high. "Top-side galow": excelsior. "Top-side piecee Heaven pidgin-man": a bishop.
-
Two-time: twice; again.
-
U-lup: Europe.
-
Understand?: a very common expression for Do you understand?
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Wifey: wife.
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Wailo, Wy-lo: go away; away with you! go; depart; gone; departed; went.
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Walkee: to go, in any way. "China-man wear two watch. What for? Supposee one makee sick, t' other walkee."
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Wantchee: to want.
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Wat: what.
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Wata: water. "Hab got wata top-side": Mad, foolish, cracked.
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Wat-ting?: what is it? what?
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Wei-yuen: great officials.
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What for?: why? wherefore? because. "What for you makee so fashion?"
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What-side: where. "What-side my can go?": Where can I go?
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What-time: when.
-
Who-man?: who? "Who-man makee Wake t'hat one-piecee?"
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Willow-waist: expressive of a fine female figure.
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Yamun, Yamen: a governor's, mandarin's or prefect's residence; a consulate.
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Ying-ling: England. Ta-ying-ling-shi-shu, the British Consulate.
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Ying-kwo: English nation.
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Yin-ke-li: English.
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