Dictionary of Cantonese Slang: The Language of Hong Kong Movies, Street Gangs and City Life (English and Chinese Edition) (Chinese)

by Christopher Hutton (Author), Kingsley Bolton (Author)

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ISBN-13: 978-0824815950

ISBN-10: 0824815955

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The publication of this Dictionary locates the discussion of its subject, Cantonese slang, within the social, cultural and political dynamics of Hong Kong society. The 'slang' of the title refers to a wide range of Hong Kong vernacular Cantonese speech styles, notably the language of the underworld (a major source of innovation in late 20th-21st century speech), of teenagers, and of Hong Kong movies and comics.
The volume offers a general introduction to the history of 'vernacular' and 'vulgar' dictionaries, including the lexicography of Cantonese; the sociopolitical and linguistic background to Hong Kong; and the specific problems of approach and methodology faced by the linguist as urban anthropologist in researching such issues. The Dictionary itself offers for the first time a survey of the commonest slang and colloquial phrases used in Hong Kong, including taboo language not hitherto included in any dictionary. The aim is to allow diverse groups of people interested in Hong Kong society and culture access to an authoritative guide to non-standard Cantonese. It is Cantonese-English, arranged alphabetically according to a widely-used transcription system. The Dictionary provides concise definitions and examples of usage where appropriate. A character list enables readers unfamiliar with Chinese transcription systems to use the text.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"The one and only, covering everything from common colloquialisms to triad trash-talking. . . . More than an indispensable tool for anybodyreader, writer or even lawyerwho needs to understand everyday Cantonese." Frank Dikötter, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

About the Author

Christopher Hutton has taught Yiddish studies at the University of Texas at Austin and general and English linguistics in Hong Kong. Kingsley Bolton is professor of linguistics at the University of Stockholm.

Paperback: 492 pages
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press (May 1, 2005)
Language: English, Chinese
ISBN-10: 0824815955
ISBN-13: 978-0824815950
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Customer Reviews: 8 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,767,411 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #478 in Chinese Language Instruction (Books)
- #389 in Slang & Idiom Reference Books
- #9067 in Foreign Dictionaries & Thesauruses

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beaglehasmorefunTop Contributor: Pets

Love it! I brought a secondhand but it just ...

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

An out of print book , Love it ! I brought a secondhand but it just looks brand new! Great value.

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Anthony J. Bybell

Long overdue, but worth it.

Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2005

Format: Paperback

When you see that an ex-CID officer wrote the intro and gave his nod of approval, you know you're in for a slang dictionary like few others--and this even includes such longtime favorites as Constantine's "Japanese Street Slang". Drawing from various diverse sources ranging from linguistic research papers to pornographic magazines, the authors have their bases covered. Even if you don't know Cantonese you'll find it's a very fun read what with such innocent sounding expressions as "ice fire" making you shake your head in disbelief when you read the definition. Students of Cantonese will like this one a lot: it has both the Yale transliteration (which it's indexed by) and Chinese characters so you'll be able to lend it to your Chinese friends too so they can learn how to express themselves more colorfully in English. Highly recommended.

11 people found this helpful

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Tai

I am impressed.

Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2005

Format: Paperback

Before you purchase a copy just remember this is a dictionary for CANTONESE slang. Cantonese being one of the many Chinese dialogues, obviously not every Chinese speaks Cantonese.

So having said that, I must inform everyone that Cantonese has the most vivid descriptions and usages of slang of the entire Chinese language (yet, being the least awful sounding). How do I know, because I was born in that wonderful city of Hong Kong! It's my native tongue, so trust me, we know how to slang in style~~ However, not all Cantonese slangs are entirely cruses nor are they offensive, you can use many of them safely in any environment. And this book presents the best of them in their original forms, including the usage of each slang and how to apply it within your speech. I am amazed by how accurate the dictionary truly is. The definations are all better than I thought they would be (as well as its entertaining value)! So if you are ever tired from repeating the same old phrases over and over again, then try adding a few Cantonese slangs into your speech to spice things up a little bit.

17 people found this helpful

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CH-SC

Excellent! Long over due. A few mistakes

Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2008

Format: Paperback

An excellent book and worth it for both native Cantonese speakers and people learning to speak Cantonese. I'm a native Cantonese speaker (and also fluent in English) and there are lots of slang phrases I have a hard time translating to English and this book helps with it. It should be noted that the vernacular in this book are often particular to the Cantonese in Hong Kong and may not reflect the vernacular of Cantonese spoken in Guangzhou.

There are a few mistakes in the book, however, but not a big problem. For instance, some characters that actually can be written in Cantonese are left "blank" (indicated by a square).

I recommend this book 100%

2 people found this helpful

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Patrick Hung

A good guide to real Hong Kong Cantonese

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2009

Format: Paperback

This dictionary is a good guide to real Hong Kong Cantonese and is a valuable contribution to the study of this rich Chinese dialect. Some of it overlaps with Hong Kong English and it has been very useful for me. My only criticism is that it tends to leave a few thing out and does not cross reference as well as it might. However for the size of the book I could not ask for more.

I recommend this book for language students in Hong Kong; it would also be useful for police officers and social workers.

Note: Some of the words covered are not suitable for children.

2 people found this helpful

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chris

Nicely written. VERY colloquial (ie a lot of swearing included)

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2006

Format: Paperback

This is the type of cantonese colliquial I was looking for, one that doesn't just include all the usual phrases that are just slightly colloquial. This book goes all the way in terms of slang language. A lot of swearing and gangster talk is included. When I saw the book cover the first thing that came to mind was the hk movie 'young and dangerous'. Although I have to say ever since my mother brought another colloquial book from hk 'common cantonese colloquial expressions' I found that if you want the usual colloquial phrases like "ar chi don gum say" (ie pretending teeth to be used as gold - I highly take in/treausre every word you say) or "bou yee li" (ie cheating with another woman while married) it'll probably be better to get that book. This book is very slang although it does include many of the usual everyday phrases. The language in this book is probably not used by a majority of civilised hk people although many in hk do swear a lot but I guess they won't use that many variations of harsh expressions. I know this as I was born in hk myself and have visited hk once in a while as I live overseas. I myself do swear a lot in canto (although sometimes I try not to) so this book was suitable for me. It is good as a read for amusment and englightening to what can be said when hk people get pissed or are under pressure.. which is a lot of the time. The yale organisation of the book is very useful for those that can't read chinese as it is in alhapbetical order. It also helps you to pronouce the words if you figure out how to read with the sounding of the high and low tones. Overall I think that this book was well written and it isn't expensive for such a thick book as this I have to say.

hk.style

7 people found this helpful

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Fantong

outstanding

Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2005

Format: Paperback

waited a long time for this to come out, and well worth it..the book is a fantastic contribution to Cantonese language study.

Cantonese is difficult anyway, and has very few good books for those learning the language, in contrast to Mandarin.

well done to the authors and publishers for sticking it out, anyone seriously studying Cantonese will need to learn the wonderfully rich and varied slang, and this really is a serious and valuable work, also rather amusing..thank you!.

7 people found this helpful

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J. H. Young

So THAT's what I've been saying all these years!

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2007

Format: Paperback

Excellent book. Though born and raised in Hawaii, Cantonese was my first language. During trips to Hong Kong and Guangzhou to visit family, my Chinese was understood perfectly and they marvelled at how well I spoke colloquial Chinese, but I never realized I wasn't speaking "proper" Cantonese, until I read this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone desiring to learn the usage and context of Cantonese as spoken on the streets of any Chinatown in the U.S. as well as Hong Kong & Guangdong.

2 people found this helpful

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Top international reviews

Slim

Best in its class!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 31, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is currently the seminal text on the subject of Cantonese slang. It is presented as an English-Chinese dictionary, but not sorted by character and/or radical, but rather sort it phonetically according to the English alphabet going from Cantonese to English. This will be a welcome addition to any collection on the Cantonese language. There are thousands of definitions with a guide to pronunciation and the proper Cantonese character(s). This is quite a difficult text to find. Currently, second hand booksellers are charging ridiculous rates for this venerable tome. I managed to find the one honest trader willing to charge me a reasonable price.

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Dictionary of Cantonese Slang: The Language of Hong Kong Movies, Street Gangs and City Life (English and Chinese Edition) (Chinese)

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