Photo: Oqbas/Shutterstock 13 of the Most Hilarious Malaysian Expressions Travel by Gyneth Tan Jul 21, 2015 1. Malaysians are not ‘horny’ … we are ‘salty wet.’ (Ham sap) 2. Malaysians don’t say someone is ‘uptight’ or ‘anxious’…we say ‘you are a tight long spider.’ (Kan cheong spider) 3. Malaysians don’t ‘get confused’ … we ‘scramble around making a lot of banging noise.’ (Kalang kabut) 4. Malaysians don’t say someone has a ‘casual attitude’ … we say they’re ‘green vegetables.’ (Cincai) 5. Malaysians don’t ‘go on vacation’ … we ‘eat wind.’ (Makan Angin) 6. Malaysians aren’t curious to the point of being annoying …we’re ‘home grannies’. (Kaypoh) 7. Malaysians don’t say something is ‘super difficult’ … we say ‘eat strength.’ (Chia lat) 8. We Malaysians have a mental state somewhere between oblivious and silly … we call it ‘blur like a squid.’ (Blur like sotong) 9. Malaysians don’t say something is ‘second-rate’ … we say it’s ‘half-past six.’ 10. Malaysians don’t say ‘forget it’ … we say ‘wait long time.’ (Tan ku ku) This story was produced through the travel journalism programs at MatadorU.Learn More 11. We don’t refer to our slang as a “mix of Malay, English, Hokkien, Cantonese and Tamil’ … we say it’s ‘vegetables and a fruit salad’. (Rojak) 12. Malaysians don’t say ‘Oh wow! … we say ‘Is it’ or ‘Izzit’ (Ya ke!) 13. When someone points out the obvious, we don’t say ‘What else did you expect?’ … we say ‘ah, but then?’ (Abuden) Trending Now 10 of the Steepest and Most Extreme Highways in North America for Thrill-Seeking Road Trippers May 8, 2025 14 Gorgeous Airbnb Cabins Near Great Smoky Mountains National Park Apr 6, 2025 9 Direct Flights From NYC for 2025, Starting at $165 Round-Trip Apr 17, 2025 13 of the Most Scenic, Luxurious, and Activities-Packed Resorts in Maldives Apr 17, 2025 Even Patagonia's Smallest Black Hole Duffel Is Fit for a Two-Week Trip Apr 25, 2025
