"Jia Lat" (JL)

When we say "Jia Lat" in Singapore, we really make something's (or someone) "the sh*t" or it could refer to the situation and that the scenario or facts surrounding the issue could be quite terrible and insurmountable.

It's not a good situation to be in, most definitely not one that everyone enjoys to be in. When someone says "Oh, sh*t, jia lat!" It is usually used in tandem with a corresponding forgetfulness, and in saying so, the problem requires immediate attention to rectify it.

It usually comes with an appropriate sinking feeling as well. Like when you know that you know you have not done something that you should have done. Kind of like leaving the house with the gas stove still on. It's a real "Jia Lat" feeling. :)

"Sleepy Driver Syndrome" (SDS)

I am not sure if this is a phenomenon that only occurs in Singapore, maybe it is a worldwide phenomenon, who knows! But each time I take a public transport either taxi or a public bus, I would tend to see drivers on the road exhibiting signs of SDS or Sleepy Driver Syndrome.

It seems to afflict all classes of drivers, especially after lunch in the afternoons. And I typically see this along the expressways where the roads are long and straight, there seem to be a few cars/or larger vehicles that tend to suffer from SDS.

What happens to a driver experiencing Sleepy Driver Syndrome is that the driver of the vehicle tends to step on the brakes a lot, and this jerking back and forth motion actually helps them wake up and stay alert. However, that same jerking back and forth motion is also the cause for many to suffer from Motion Sickness as a result of that. This is further compounded by the fact that it is Singapore and the afternoon sun is always constantly blazing.

In other countries, Sleepy Driver Syndrome is probably also known as Fatigue Driving, which is extremely dangerous. I hope that none of us practice SDS while on our roads. Let's keep Singapore safe. So please drive safely.

And if you were to come across someone suffering from Sleepy Driver Syndrome, please do your part and wake them up. It could save lives. It could save your life.

"Been Chow Chow" (BCC)

"Been Chow Chow" or "BCC" (not your email's blind carbon copy where you can literally hide the recipient list) in Singapore is usually used in reference to someone who is most probably displeased with something that someone else said to him or her.

The abbreviation "BCC" is often used on a person who exhibits these undesirable moody traits on their faces. For example, we say someone is "been chow chow" when they pull a long face. "Been" here to refers to "face" and is in Hokkien language which is quite commonly used in Singapore. "Chow" here means "Smelly". So in this instance, it means "Smelly Smelly".

The person that shows their outright unhappiness or displeasure, is usually the one that is referred to as "Been Chow Chow". 

So typically when someone is unhappy with words spoken about them, usually in a gossipy manner or  if they weren't invited to a common occasion where everyone else is invited, they will exude the facial expression that leads others to conclude that they are showing their unhappiness. Compare this to "Been Orh Orh" (BOO) which refers to a person with an extremely unhappy face.

A typical scenario to describe this would be as follows:

Person A: "Hey Person B, we are going for lunch, wanna join us?"

Person B: "Yeah, sure!"

Person C: "Can I join in too?"

Person A: "Oh, it's a private gathering, I'm sure you understand that. Maybe next time."

In this scenario, Person C would suddenly exhibit the exact signs and symptoms of being BCC or "Been Chow Chow" (lit: Face Smelly Smelly).