ngaau4 lou5 can3淆老襯淆老衬
Jyutpingngaau4 lou5 can3
Yalengàauh lóuh chan
Definition
An expression used by criminals to mock peers who have gone straight to earn an honest living.
slangslangpeople
How it's used
This term carries a strong sense of underworld irony, framing honest labor as a sign of weakness or betrayal of the criminal lifestyle. It specifically targets those who abandon illicit activities for legitimate employment, implying they have lost their edge or courage. The phrase is strictly restricted to criminal or street slang and would sound bizarre or overly dramatic in any other context.
Examples
He went straight, and his brothers mocked him for being a sucker.
Why are you being a sucker and going to work a regular job?
Related words
Common phrases
to mock someone for going straight
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone who is simply naive or easily cheated, as the term specifically implies a transition from a criminal life to a conventional one. Using it for a regular person who is just gullible will cause confusion.
Grammar color guide
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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.
