gam1 sau2 zi2金手指
Jyutpinggam1 sau2 zi2
Yalegām sáu jí
Definition
An informer or betrayer; also refers to a cheating device for old video game consoles.
- slanginformer; betrayer; whistleblower
- slanga hardware cheat cartridge or device for classic video game consoles
colloquialpeopleslang
How it's used
Originally referring to a hardware cheat device for video games, the term evolved to describe someone who secretly reports others to authority figures for personal gain. It carries a strong negative connotation of disloyalty and untrustworthiness. Unlike a simple tattletale, a 金手指 often implies a calculated betrayal within a group or organization.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He is the snitch in the office, always stabbing people in the back.
Don't be a backstabber, we are all friends here.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literal meaning of a golden finger, as the metaphorical usage is almost exclusively about betrayal. Using it to describe someone who is simply pointing at something will cause confusion.
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
