diu lei

English edit

Alternative forms edit

diu nei, diu lay

Etymology edit

From Cantonese 屌你 (diu² nei⁵, “fuck you”).

Pronunciation edit

(Singapore) IPA^(key): /ˈdjʊə leɪ/
Rhymes: -eɪ

Interjection edit

diu lei

(colloquial Hong Kong, Singlish, vulgar) Fuck you.
- 1996 April 18, soc.culture.singapore‎^[1] (Usenet):
  You impudent muppet, diu lay! You may be able to hoodwink people over in the UK, but not those of us over here.
- 2008 April 16, ad-group‎^[2] (Usenet):
  Btw, finally saw fat fat here....wahahaha. Diu nei, plane last time.
- 2010 April 23, alt.madcrew‎^[3] (Usenet):
  But I'm like Diu lei sit your ass back down.
- 2010 August 3, AD Group 2005‎^[4] (Usenet):
  Diu Lei, koki, can you don't send food link before bed time?
- 2011, Foo Yin Tung, The Right Mistakes: My Life As A Singapore Gangster, →ISBN, page 198:
  “操你老妈啊 (diu nei lok mo ah)!” I shouted in Cantonese.
- 2012, Chan Ling Yap, Bitter-Sweet Harvest: A sequel to the acclaimed and well-loved Sweet Offerings, →ISBN:
  “Yes! Hantu! Ghots! Mangroves and snakes! Mong! Stupid! Diu lei loh mo! F ... your mother! That is why it has been chosen; and the name Hantu helps keep people away. Probably like you they fear the devil,” said Ah Cheong, hurling more expletives at his underling before returning back to the house.
- 2015, Valerie Goldsilk, Classified As Crime, →ISBN:
  “Diu lei chau hai ge mo, fuck your smelly mother's cunt,” Spencer said under his breath and belted the bloody skull with his foot, sending splatters of tissue and bone flying around the room.

Usage notes edit

Commonly collate with loh mou ("your mom", alternatively, lo mo or lok mo) to form an injection. Used in spoken colloquial Singapore English to express dismay or disapproval. Also commonly found in informal contexts (e.g., forums or blogs).

Related terms edit

delay no more