Swine Clue

The recent swine flu scare which started in Mexico not only claimed precious lives, but also might signal the end of an oft-used expression in Hokkien. If more lives are claimed, I believe it would be the catalyst to the death of this Hokkien simile–koon kau siang ka si tu (which literally means: sleep like a dead pig).

For now, this expression seems harmless but with time it may take on a sinister meaning. Imagine telling someone that your friend koon kau siang ka si tu, only to realise that he’s dead of swine flu the following day! The expression would immediately evolve from something harmless to taboo.

In the meantime, we’ll just wait and see…