one, what

[basiecrazy]

*bangs head against desk*

i simply cannot understand how to end a sentence with "one" or "what".

how the hell did you singaporeans come up with that damn "language"?

Comments

[epicureanangel]

Aiyah, how come you so lousy one?

It's just like that what!

And we developed that language because it's the most natural!

Seriously, I think "something one" is a contraction of "to be a something one". I.e. "He very clumsy one (he is a very clumsy one)", "She always so late one (she is always such a late one)."

"what" is used in place of, "what, you didn't know?" E.g. "Of course she's not here yet, she's always late what." "Of course you can't speak Singlish, you're American what."

[aime]

Singlish is like that one. Sometimes I guess it's more of the intonation rather than the words themselves that mark Singlish as Singlish. I've also realized that 'one' is normally added on to the end of a sentence with "like that" as an indicator of 1) exasperation or 2) platitude. ("Eh, how can like that one?"; "Aiyah, this shop is like that one, the exchange policy is damn crazy, don't angry anymore lah.")

"What" seems to fall into a similar category. Though it can be added after "like that one" ("like that one what") in expressions stating common knowledge:

"You don't know meh? The buses along Nicoll Highway all genna re-routed. What to do, has to be like that one what, or else how? Expect the buses to fly over the gap ah?"

Or like "one", attached onto "like that": "What you expect? Government sector the pay is like that what, where got private sector that lucrative?"

It is a rough equivalent of the French phrase "C'est comme ça". Basically, "*something is* like that" + "one" or "what".

Am I making any sense?

[basiecrazy]

uhhh.... yeah. well, no. i'm so confused! (mich says i'm never going to really get it!)