- gantry noun
That intimidating electronic gate at the carpark or ERP zone that decides whether or not your bank account is about to take a hit. It’s basically the gatekeeper of Singaporean convenience, and you’ll know it’s working when you hear that satisfying 'beep' of your CashCard or NETS FlashPay scanning through.
- saman noun
The dreaded piece of paper that ruins your day. It’s what you get when you park where you shouldn't, speed like a racer, or just have really bad luck with the Traffic Police or LTA uncle. If you get one, your wallet is going to feel a lot lighter very, very quickly.
- spoil adjective
In proper English, 'spoil' means to ruin something or treat a child too well. In Singapore, it simply means something is broken or refuses to function, like your phone screen after a drop or an MRT lift on a bad day.
- tumpang verb
To hitch a ride, share a space, or piggyback on someone else's errand because they're already headed in your direction. It's the ultimate Singaporean life hack for efficiency; if a colleague is going for lunch, you definitely tumpang your order into theirs or 'tumpang' a lift to the nearest MRT.
We made ordering kopi easier too
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