DFA

w:Department of Foreign Affairs (Philippines)

(Philippines) Initialism of Department of Foreign Affairs.

DAR

executive departments of the Philippines


cookie

cookies (plural)
cookey (alternative uncommon)
cooky (alternative uncommon)

→ Arabic: كُوكِي (kuki)

→ Armenian: կուկի (kuki)

→ Cantonese: 曲奇 (kuk¹ kei⁴)

→ Mandarin: 曲奇 (qūqí)

→ Catalan: cookie

→ Cebuano: kokis

→ Dutch: cookie

→ French: cookie

→ Georgian: ქუქი (kuki)

→ German: Cookie

→ Gujarati: કૂકી (kūkī)

→ Hawaiian: kuki

→ Hindi: कुकी (kukī)

→ Italian: cookie

→ Japanese: クッキー (kukkī)

→ Kannada: ಕುಕಿ (kuki)

→ Khmer: ខូគី (khoukii)

→ Korean: 쿠키 (kuki)

→ Malay: kuki

→ Polish: cookie

→ Portuguese: cookie

→ Russian: ку́ки (kúki)

→ Spanish: cookie

→ Swahili: kuki

→ Swedish: cookie

→ Tagalog: kuki

→ Telugu: కుకీ (kukī)

→ Thai: คุกกี้ (kúk-gîi)

→ Tigrinya: ኩኪ (kuki)

→ Ukrainian: ку́ки (kúky)

→ Yiddish: קוקי (kuki)

→ Yoruba: kúkì

Borrowed from Dutch koekie, dialectal diminutive of koek (“cake”), from Proto-Germanic *kōkô (compare German Low German Kookje (“biscuit, cookie, cracker”), Low German Kook (“cake”), German Kuchen (“cake”)). More at cake. Not related to English cook.
The computing senses derive from magic cookie.

koekie

small, flat baked good — see also biscuit

(Canada, US, Philippines) A small, flat, baked good which is either crisp or soft but firm.


eh

Natural exclamation; first recorded mid-16th century. Perhaps an unstressed variant of aye (“yes, yeah”).
The Philippine sense is possibly influenced by Tagalog e and/or Spanish eh.

onomatopoeic

exclamation

ay (alternative)
ehh (alternative)
ehhh (alternative)

—Why is it like this?
—Eh, It's like that eh.

(Philippines) Expressing apprehension following or preceding a reasoning or excuse; uh.


mestizo

Borrowed from Spanish mestizo, from Late Latin mixtīcius, from Latin mixtus (“mixed”). Doublet of metis, which came from French.

(Philippines, historical) A person of mixed ancestry, especially one of Austronesian Filipino and Spanish or Chinese ancestry, such as that of the Spanish mestizos and Chinese mestizos from the Spanish Colonial Era of the Philippines.


sala

From Spanish sala, from Germanic. Compare Swedish sal. Doublet of salle and sale.


skylab

From Cebuano skylab, from English Skylab, from its crude resemblance in shape to the space station.

At the very beginning of my time in Lake Sebu the jeepneys coming from the lowland would go until Lëm-Delag. Later on, the barangay officials decided that only skylabs were allowed to carry passengers to Lëm-Delag.

2003, Karl Aanonsen, Sunggud is Our Business, page 55:

Parked by its ancestor the ox cart, skylabs are the only public transit in this Sakhon Nakhon village.

2005, Philip Cornwel-Smith, John Goss, Very Thai: Everyday Popular Culture, page 46:

In the town of Mongkayo skylabs are designed to hold as many as a dozen passengers.

2006, Robin Hemley, Invented Eden: The Elusive, Disputed History of the Tasaday, page 124:

(Philippines) A motorcycle taxi with extension seats on the sides, configured by placing a wooden beam across the pillion.


achi

(Philippines, Chinese Filipino, colloquial) the eldest sister

(Philippines, Chinese Filipino, colloquial, informal) an elder sister

(Philippines, Chinese Filipino, colloquial, familiar) a young female senior (usually within the Chinese Filipino community)

(Philippines, Chinese Filipino, colloquial) respectful term of address for the eldest sister

(Philippines, Chinese Filipino, colloquial, informal) respectful term of address for an elder sister

(Philippines, Chinese Filipino, colloquial, familiar) respectful term of address for a young female senior (usually within the Chinese Filipino community)


squatter

незаконно заселил се

one occupying a place without permission

One who occupies a building or land without title or permission.

(Philippines) A poor vagrant; a hobo or beggar; one suffering from extreme poverty.


middle name

From the adaptation of Filipino full names from former Spanish naming customs to the US naming custom of given name first, then the mother's surname before marriage, then the father's surname.

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-middle name.wav

(Philippines) one's mother's maiden name

сре́днее и́мя

not used in Russia, patronymics are used instead, foreign context

toinen nimi

figuratively a trait, activity, or action closely associated with or aptly describing a person


roommate

→ Japanese: ルームメイト (rūmumeito)

→ Japanese: ルームメート (rūmumēto)

→ Korean: 룸메이트 (rummeiteu)

I live with Marsha. We’re roommates.

2016, “Learning English (public domain)”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), archived from the original on 2017-09-18:

(US, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Canada) A person sharing the same home albeit not the same room (but generally not a family member or spouse).


conference

From Middle French conférence, from Medieval Latin cōnferentia, from Latin cōnferēns, several steps omitting from con- + ferō.
Compare parallel Russian собра́ние (sobránije), Russian сбо́рище (sbórišče), akin to с- (s-), со- (so-) + брать (bratʹ), ultimately from the same Indo-European prefix and root. Also compare congress, convention.

University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law
conference

(Philippines, sports) A constituent tournament of a sports league in a given season.


faculty

From Middle English faculte (“power, property”), from Old French faculte, from Latin facultas (“capability, ability, skill, abundance, plenty, stock, goods, property; in Medieval Latin also a body of teachers”), another form of facilitas (“easiness, facility, etc.”), from facul, another form of facilis (“easy, facile”); see facile. Doublet of facility.

der

(chiefly Canada, US, Philippines) The academic staff at schools, colleges, universities or not-for-profit research institutes, as opposed to the students or support staff.

fakultato

scholarly staff at colleges or universities

профе́ссорско-преподава́тельский соста́в


tho

Simplified reform spelling. Popular in American English in the earlier 20th century. Like thru, it failed to establish itself fully, but remains in informal contexts or were brevity is needed. Compare tho'.

The English are told as children that maize is food for pigs, and tho Americans eat maizebread with pleasure and have recently done so to a huge extent in order to make possible exports of wheat to Europe, the English persist in their unfounded prejudice against it.

1919 September 6, “Wanted: A Nutrition Laboratory”, in The Literary Digest, volume 62, number 10 (1533 overall), New York, N.Y.; London: Funk & Wagnalls Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, “Science and Invention” section, page 114, column 2:

I wonder now when I will find time to read it but it is a treasure anyway tho heavy in my knapsack, […]

2009, John Hough, Seen the Glory: A Novel of the Battle of Gettysburg, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 121:

(chiefly US and Philippines, dated or informal, also Internet slang) Alternative spelling of though.


tomboy

→ Bikol Central: tomboy

→ Cebuano: tomboy

→ Spanish: tomboy

→ Tagalog: tomboy

From tom + boy. First attested in Ralph Roister Doister (published 1567, written circa 1552), where it is used to describe a boisterous girl; the OED says the citation is however "generally taken" to mean a boisterous boy, and says that a use in The Old Law (published 1656, thought to have been written circa 1599) "certainly" means a boy: "must young court-tits / play tomboys' tricks with her?" By 1579 it was attested in the meaning "an immodest woman", and by no later than 1592 it had developed its modern meaning of a “girl who acts like a boy”.

(Philippines, colloquial) A butch lesbian.


transient

From Late Latin transiēnt- (for classical transeunt-), stem of transiēns, present participle of transire (“to go over, to pass”).


plunder

Recorded since 1632 during the Thirty Years War, native British use since the Cromwellian Civil War. Borrowed from German plündern (“to loot”), from Middle High German, from Middle Low German plunderen, from a noun originally meaning "household goods, bedding, clothing," of obscure ultimate origin. This is first attested in medieval records, and according to Gijsseling, is therefore attested too late to be considered a substrate word. Due to the lack of obvious cognates in other languages from which it would have been loaned, it could have developed as some slang word in Lower Saxony/the Low Countries.
Cognate with Dutch plunderen, West Frisian plonderje, Saterland Frisian plunnerje. Probably denominal from a word for “household goods, clothes, bedding”; compare Middle Dutch plunder, German Plunder (“stuff”), Dutch and West Frisian plunje (“clothes”).

(Philippines, crime) The crime of amassing ill-gotten wealth by public officials through a combination or series of overt criminal acts.


grade

→ Japanese: グレード (gurēdo)

→ Swahili: gredi

Borrowed from Middle French grade (“a grade, degree”), from Latin gradus (“a step, pace, degree”), from Proto-Italic *graðus, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰradʰ-, *gʰredʰ- (“to walk, go”). Doublet of gradus.
Cognate with Gothic 𐌲𐍂𐌹𐌸𐍃 (griþs, “step, grade”), Bavarian Gritt (“step, stride”), Lithuanian gri̇̀diju (“to go, wander”).

He got a good grade on the test.

I gave him a good grade for effort.

You need a grade of at least 80% in first-year calculus to be admitted to the CS major program.

(chiefly Canada, US, Philippines) Performance on a test or other evaluation(s), expressed by a number, letter, or other symbol; a score.

notë

performance expressed by a number, letter, or other symbol

Clancy is entering the fifth grade this year.

Clancy starts grade five this year.

(Canada, US, Philippines, education) A level of primary and secondary education.

(Philippines, ophthalmology) An eyeglass prescription.


condominium

en-noun

condominium (plural condominiums or condominia)

condominiums (plural)
condominia (plural)

condominium
condominium (international law)

gemeenschappelijk bestuurd gebied of eigendom

(US, Canada, Philippines) A building or complex of buildings that provides multiple residential units each of which is owned separately but whose grounds, structure, etc. (if any) are owned jointly.

(US, Canada, Philippines) The system of ownership by which such condominiums operate.

համատիրություն

the system of ownership by which such condominiums operate

(US, Canada, Philippines) An individual unit (such as an apartment) in such a complex.

համատիրության մեջ ընդգրկված շենք

building in which each unit is owned by an individual, but the grounds is owned jointly

building waarbij iedere flat individuele eigendom is maar de gronden gemeenschappelijk


commuter

forens

a person who regularly travels to and from work and home

pendel

transport system or vehicle in such systems

(transport) A person who regularly travels between two places.


review

en-verb

review (third-person singular simple present reviews, present participle reviewing, simple past and past participle reviewed)

reviews (present singular third-person)
reviewing (participle present)
reviewed (participle past)
reviewed (past)
re-view (alternative obsolete rare)

From Middle English revewe, reveue, from Old French reveüe, revue (Modern French: revue), feminine form of reveü, past participle of reveoir (French: revoir), from Latin revideō, from re- +videō (“see, observe”) (English: video). Equivalent to re- + view. Compare retrospect. Doublet of revue.

(transitive, Canada, US, Philippines) To look over again (something previously written or learned), especially in preparation for an examination.


attitude

en-noun

attitude (countable and uncountable, plural attitudes)

/ˈætɪˌt͡ʃuːd/

From French attitude, from Italian attitudine (“attitude, aptness”), from Medieval Latin aptitūdō (“aptitude”) and actitūdō (“acting, posture”), from Latin aptō and actitō. Doublet of aptitude.

der

He doesn't take attitude from anybody.

I asked the waiter for a clean fork and all I got was attitude.

And if a nigga get a attitude / Pop it like it's hot

2004, “Drop It Like It's Hot”, performed by Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell Williams:

(Canada, US, UK, Philippines, informal) Unpleasant behavior.


mens

(Philippines, biology, colloquial) Clipping of menstruation.


UE

University of the East
w:University of the East

(Philippines) Initialism of University of the East.


KKK

The Philippine sense is from Tagalog KKK.

(Philippines, historical) Initialism of Katipunan.


biscuit

en-noun

biscuit (countable and uncountable, plural biscuits)

Tok Pisin: bisket

→ Bengali: বিস্কুট (biskuṭ)

→ Burmese: ဘီစကွတ် (bhica.kwat)

→ Cebuano: biskuwít, biskwit

→ Fiji Hindi: biskut

→ Gujarati: બિસ્કિટ (biskiṭ)

→ Hausa: bìskît

desc

ביסקוויט//בִּיסְקְוִיט

→ Hebrew: ביסקוויט /בִּיסְקְוִיט (bískvit)

→ Hiligaynon: biskwit

desctree

→ Hindi: बिस्कुट (biskuṭ)
→ Jarawa: biskuʈ (“biscuit”)

→ Indonesian: beskit, biskit

→ Japanese: ビスケット (bisuketto)

→ Korean: 비스켓 (biseuket)

→ Malay: biskut

→ Marshallese: petkōj

→ Punjabi: ਬਿਸਕੁਟ (biskuṭ)

→⇒ Scottish Gaelic: briosgaid

→ Spanish: bísquet, bísquete

→ Swahili: biskuti

→ Sylheti: ꠛꠤꠍꠇꠥꠐ (bisókuṭ)

→ Tagalog: biskuwit

→ Thai: บิสกิต (bís-gìt)

→ Urdu: بسکٹ (biskiṭ)
→ Ushojo: بسکٹ (biskiṭ)

→ Yoruba: bisikíìtì

→ Zulu: bhisikidi

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-biscuit.wav

PIE word
 *dwóh₁
From earlier bisket, from Middle English bisquyte, from Old French bescuit (French biscuit); doublet of biscotto.

Weighed myself at the gym and have hit 10st 8lb, a sure sign of things getting out of control—so I can’t even console myself with a chocolate biscuit.

(UK, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, sometimes Canada, rare in the US and the Philippines) A small, flat, baked good which is either hard and crisp or else soft but firm; a cookie.

koekie

small, flat baked good — see also cookie, cracker

cheese and biscuits

water biscuits

digestive biscuits

(UK, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia) A cracker.


association

en-noun

association (countable and uncountable, plural associations)

/əˌsəʊʃiˈeɪʃn̩/

/əˌsəʊsiˈeɪʃn̩/

/əˌsoʊʃiˈeɪʃən/

From Latin associātiō, from associō (perhaps via French association).
Morphologically associate + -ion
The Philippine sense is a calque of Spanish gremio.

robust association of massive baryonic objects

(Philippines, Chinese Filipino) A benevolent overseas Chinese organization of popular origin for overseas Chinese individuals with the same surname, geographical origin, location, trade or business.


hyper

en-adj

hyper (comparative more hyper, superlative most hyper)

more hyper (comparative)
most hyper (superlative)

Shortenings, all ultimately from the prefix hyper-.

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-hyper.wav

(Philippines, informal) Clipping of hyperactive


slipper

Malay: selipar

(US, Hawaii, India, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore) A flip-flop (type of rubber sandal).


hazing

en-noun

hazing (countable and uncountable, plural hazings)

(US, Philippines) An initiation or behavior that involves humiliation, harassment or abuse, particularly in universities and in the military.


911 (countable and uncountable, plural 911s)

9/11 attacks
Federal Communications Commission
National Emergency Number Association
United States

Chosen by the United States in the 1960s in place of the older British 999 number as a better way to avoid accidental calls from push-button telephones. It is officially pronounced "nine-one-one" and not "nine-eleven," as the latter refers to the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington. 9/11 is universally distinguished from 911 to refer the September 11 attacks. Officially written as 9-1-1 in regulations and materials from the United States National Emergency Number Association and Federal Communications Commission, which is also advocated by some media style guides.

911 is sending an ambulance.

(Canada, US, Belize, Liberia, Philippines, metonymic) Emergency services; emergency service personnel.

(Canada, US, Belize, Liberia, Philippines, colloquial, metonymic) An emergency phone call.

(Canada, US, Belize, Liberia, Philippines, colloquial, metonymic) An emergency.


en-verb

911 (third-person singular simple present 911s, present participle 911ing, simple past and past participle 911ed)

London hairstylist Rick Haylor for the John Frieda Salon—the man Nicole Kidman 911s when she wants her curly mop to lie down and look glamorous—tells you how to go straight.

1997 August 10, “50 New Fall Hair Looks”, in Cosmopolitan, volume 223, number 2, page 208:

(Canada, US, Belize, Liberia, Philippines, colloquial) To call emergency services.


CP

en-noun

CP (countable and uncountable, plural CPs)

(Philippines, text messaging) Initialism of cellphone.


Grand Slam

(Philippines, basketball) winning in each of the three Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) tournaments, each called locally a conference, in a season; see Grand Slam (PBA) on Wikipedia.


Phil

the Phils. (canonical)
phil (alternative)
phil. (alternative)
Phil. (alternative)

(US, Philippines, slang, chiefly in the plural) Clipping of the Philippines.


PBA

Philippine Basketball Association
w:Philippine Basketball Association

(Philippines) Initialism of Philippine Basketball Association.


NAT

National Achievement Test
w:National Achievement Test

(Philippines, education) Initialism of National Achievement Test.


cabaret

cabaret (countable and uncountable, plural cabarets)


walkman

walkman (plural walkmans or (uncommon) walkmen)

walkmans (plural)
walkmen (plural uncommon)
Walkman (alternative)

Genericized trademark from the Sony trademark, Walkman.

(Philippines, informal) pig's ears, chopped, shaved, marinated, skewered, then grilled, sold as street food


PNR

Philippine National Railways
w:Philippine National Railways

(Philippines) Initialism of Philippine National Railways (“the main rail operator in the Philippines, particularly around Luzon”).


restroom

restrooms (plural)
rest room (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-restroom.wav

Could you tell me where I can find the restroom?

(US, Philippines, euphemistic) A room containing a public toilet: a public lavatory.


eraser

uitveër

thing used to erase something written or drawn

I have worn out the eraser on this pencil.

(Canada, US, Philippines) An object used to erase or remove something written or drawn by a pen or a pencil.

(Canada, US, Philippines) An object used to erase something written either by chalk on a chalkboard, by a marker on a whiteboard, or by some other erasable implement; a chalkboard eraser, whiteboard eraser, etc.


inhibit

en-verb

inhibit (third-person singular simple present inhibits, present participle inhibiting, simple past and past participle inhibited)

inhibits (present singular third-person)
inhibiting (participle present)
inhibited (participle past)
inhibited (past)

From Latin inhibitus, perfect passive participle of inhibeō (“I hold in, check, restrain”), from in (“in, at, on”), + habeō (“I have, hold, keep”).


debut

From French début, from Middle French, derivative of débuter (“to move, begin”), from dé- + but (“mark, goal”), from Old French but (“aim, goal, end, target”), from Old French butte (“mound, knoll, target”), from Frankish *but (“stump, log”), or from Old Norse bútr (“log, stump, butt”); both from Proto-Germanic *butą (“end, piece”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewd- (“to beat, push”). Cognate with Old English butt (“tree stump”). More at butt. The Philippine sense is influenced by Spanish debut.

der

(Philippines) The coming-of-age celebration of a woman's eighteenth birthday.


ERC

w:Energy Regulatory Commission (Philippines)

(Philippines) Initialism of Energy Regulatory Commission.


windshield

The freezing rain covered our windshield with ice and we couldn't see a thing.

For example, when trailers containing new automobiles were first piggybacked two areas of potential damage became evident: (1) diesel locomotive exhaust left a film of oil on the new autos; and (2) auto windshields could be scarred or cracked by the metal-tipped "tell-tales" which warn men atop trains of oncoming bridges or tunnels.

1960 November 10, David Morgan, “"Piggyback"—U.S. success story”, in Trains Illustrated, page 684:

I was at Park Safari Africa in Canada on the Canadian border. This was years ago outside of Plattsburgh, New York. And I had a new car at the time, and I was driving through, going through the monkey area. And they said 'beware of the monkeys.' So about ten of them circled my car. And this one special one, like he was the leader of the pack, jumped up on the hood and came right up to the windshield and looked in. So I was like making faces at him. [garbled] 'don't do that!' And believe it or not, he made like a face back. He jumped off the car. He took his fingernails and he peeled all the chrome on both sides of my car off. Picked it up, jumped on the hood, dropped it and left- looked at me and left.

2006 May 9, Penn Jillette, Michael Goudeau, quoting Pat, 34:52 from the start, in Penn Radio:

The new report said 413 million yuan spent on train windshields was wasted when design specifications were changed in March 2011, three months before the line opened.[…]
It found that Beichen district government in Tianjin had 340 million yuan in its own accounts instead of being paid promptly in compensation for land procured for the railway.

2012 March 19, Zhou Xin, Nick Edwards, “China audit details fraud, waste at Beijing-Shanghai railway”, in Michael Perry, editor, Reuters, sourced from BEIJING (Reuters), archived from the original on 2024-07-04, World:

Using her hands like windshield wipers, she tried to flick snow away from her mouth. When she clawed at her chest and neck, the crumbs maddeningly slid back onto her face. She grew claustrophobic.

2012, John Branch, “Snow Fall : The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek”, in The New York Times:

(Canada, US, Philippines) A transparent screen made of glass, located at the front and back of a vehicle in front of its occupants to protect them from the wind force generated by the vehicle's speed and inclement weather.

bitaʼ

screen located in front of a vehicle to protect from wind and weather


cell phone

cell phones (plural)
cellphone (alternative)
cell-phone (alternative)

(chiefly Canada, US, New Zealand, Philippines) A portable, wireless telephone, which changes antenna connections seamlessly during travel from one radio reception cell to another without losing the party-to-party call connection.


walker

→ Irish: válcaeir

→ Persian: واکر (vâker)

From Middle English walkere (“one who walks, traveller”), equivalent to walk + -er.

inh

A single mother of three, Rachel is what Facebook users call as ^([sic]) “walker,” or an online sex worker. Using a dummy account, she posts her sexy photos and informs page visitors that she’s available for sex in exchange for money.

2019 June 22, Charisse Ursal, “Social media lures young people to engage in sex for money”, in Philippine Daily Inquirer:

(Philippines) A prostitute, streetwalker.


resume

resumes (plural)
résumé (alternative)
resumé (alternative)

Borrowed from French résumé, past participle of résumer (“to summarize”), from Latin resūmere (“to take back”); compare resume.

(chiefly Canada, US, Australia, Philippines) A summary or account of education and employment experiences and qualifications; a curriculum vitae (often for presentation to a potential future employer when applying for a job).


dormer

My dorm mates and I had a little get-together in our room on the second floor. We were just talking and weren't making much noise when we heard a knock on our door. It was a dormer from the room directly below us. She asked if we were cleaning and we told her that we weren't. She left but came back a little while later and asked the same question again. We asked her if our matron wants us to clean up. The dormer said no and left. But after a few minutes, she came up again and again asked if we were cleaning our room because she could hear the noise down in her room.

2004, mae, edited by Reginald Ting, True Philippine Ghost Stories #8: Spooky Dorm, Psicom Publishing Inc., →ISBN, page 38:

(Philippines) A resident of a dormitory.


kinder

en-noun

kinder (countable and uncountable, plural kinders)

From German Kinder (“children”), sometimes via Yiddish קינדער (kinder, “children”).

(Philippines, countable, uncountable) Clipping of kindergarten.


kalis

Borrowed from Tagalog kalis, from Malay keris, from Old Javanese kĕris, kris Doublet of kris.


recess

recess (countable and uncountable, plural recesses)

The noun is borrowed from Latin recessus (“act of going back, departure, receding, retiring; (figuratively) retreat, withdrawal; (metonymically) distant, secluded, or secret spot, corner, nook, retreat; recessed part, indentation”) (also Late Latin recessus (“decree or resolution of the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire”)), from recēdō (“to go back, recede, retire, withdraw; to go away, depart; (by extension) to disappear, vanish; to separate; to stand back, be distant; to yield”) (from re- (prefix meaning ‘back, backwards’) + cēdō (“to go, move, proceed”)) + -tus (suffix forming action nouns from verbs); influenced by Middle French recès, French recès (“a break, pause; break between classes in school; school vacation; ebbing of tide; reduction”) (also Anglo-Norman recès and Old French recès (“hiding place; hollow”).
Sense 5 (“decree or resolution of the diet of the Holy Roman Empire, etc.”) is possibly influenced by Italian recesso and refers to a decree or resolution made just before a meeting ends.
The adjective and verb are derived from the noun.
Cognates
* Catalan recés
* Italian recesso
* Middle French recès (modern French recès)
* Portuguese recesso
* Spanish receso

дебри

hidden, innermost, or inaccessible place or part of a place

فُسْحة

temporary stoppage of an activity — see also break, pause

Students who do not listen in class will not play outside during recess.

(countable) A temporary stoppage of an activity; a break, a pause.

(Australia, British, Canada, US, Philippines, education) A time away from studying during the school day for a meal or recreation.


canvasser

(politics, obsolete except US, Philippines) A person who scrutinizes the ballot in an election.


ROTC

A trumpeteer from Ft. Polk sounded colors and an ROTC color guard raised the US flag to the top of a silver staff.

1982, All Volunteer, volume 35, number 11, page 18:

Reserve Officers' Training Corps
w:Reserve Officers' Training Corps

(US, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, military) Initialism of Reserve Officers' Training Corps.


ope

(Philippines, colloquial, slang) Clipping of operations, in terms of an organization.


ama

amas (plural)
amah (alternative)
ahma (alternative)
amma (alternative)

(Received Pronunciation, General American) -ɑːmə

From Hokkien 阿媽 /阿妈 (a-má, “paternal grandmother”). See also Hokkien 俺媽 /俺妈 (án-má), Portuguese Templo de A-Má.

bor

"Perhaps," her grandmother had said. She was nearing death at that point, Mia's ama. Her body was wracked with arthritis, rheumatism, Parkinson's, osteoporosis and more. The maids said she was crazy with pain, and perhaps too far gone to even think properly.

2012, Andrew Drilon, “Two Women Worth Watching”, in Charles Tan, editor, Lauriat: A Filipino-Chinese Speculative Fiction Anthology, Maple Shade, New Jersey: Lethe Press, Inc., page 8:

(Philippines, Chinese Filipino, colloquial) paternal grandmother; paternal grandma

There would always be some food offerrings there, and every morning, Amma would burn some incense. More elaborate offerings were made on the anniversaries of his birth and death, and the Chinese festivals for the dead such as Qingming in April and the Hungry Ghosts on the seventh lunar month.

2017, Ari C. Dy, “Introduction”, in Chinese Buddhism in Catholic Philippines: Syncretism as Identity, Anvil Publishing, Inc.:

(Philippines, Chinese Filipino, colloquial) term of address for one's paternal grandmother


DA

w:Department of Agriculture (Philippines)

(Philippines) Initialism of Department of Agriculture.


hassle

en-adj

hassle (comparative more hassle, superlative most hassle)

more hassle (comparative)
most hassle (superlative)

Unknown. Probably from US Southern dialectal hassle (“to pant, breathe noisily”), possibly from haste + -le (frequentative suffix).


nosebleed

nosebleeds (plural)
nose bleed (alternative)

(Philippines, figurative, slang) mental overload (usually attained as a result of having to comprehend new and/or complex concepts or languages that one is not particularly skilled with)


TOR

(Philippines, education) Initialism of transcript of records, an official record of a student's or graduate's academic achievements at the college or university level, including all courses taken, grades earned, and credits.


shooting

en-noun

shooting (countable and uncountable, plural shootings)

From Middle English shoting, schoting, from Old English scotung (“shooting”), from Proto-Germanic *skutungō, equivalent to shoot + -ing. Cognate with Dutch schieting, German Erschießung (“shooting”), Swedish skjutning (“shooting”).


MNLF

Moro National Liberation Front
w:Moro National Liberation Front

(Philippines) Initialism of Moro National Liberation Front.


subdivision

subdivision (countable and uncountable, plural subdivisions)

subdivisions (plural)
subdiv. (alternative)
sbdv. (alternative)
subd. (alternative)

... By the 1970s, cattle rustling had fallen by the wayside, as tractors replaced carabaos and industrial estates and residential subdivisions supplanted rice fields as the mainstays of Cavite's suburban northern towns.

1999, Vicente L. Rafael, Figures of Criminality in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Colonial Vietnam, SEAP Publications, →ISBN, page 81:

As the farms give way to the residential subdivisions and industrial estates, the centuries-old traditional Filipino houses, slightly raised above grounds and standing on stilts, are abandoned in the quest for more living space.

2014, Rodelio B. Carating, Raymundo G. Galanta, Clarita D. Bacatio, The Soils of the Philippines, Springer Science & Business, →ISBN, page 51:

(Philippines) A gated community located within a barangay.


eggplant

eggplant (countable and uncountable, plural eggplants)

eggplants (plural)
egg-plant (alternative)

From egg + plant, originally applied only to the white-colored, egg-shaped variety.

Solanum melongena
Solanum melongena#Translingual

(Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines) The plant Solanum melongena.

(Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines) The edible fruit of the Solanum melongena: an aubergine.


senti

en-adj

senti (comparative more senti, superlative most senti)

more senti (comparative)
most senti (superlative)

(India, Pakistan, Philippines) Sentimental, emotional.


cooler

(Philippines, countable) samalamig drink (sweet chilled beverage, such as chilled fruit juice or other flavors like chocolate, coffee, sweet corn, etc., usually mixed with either shredded jelly and/or sago pearls or tapioca pearls)


scandal

en-noun

scandal (countable and uncountable, plural scandals)

→ Japanese: スキャンダル (sukyandaru)

→ Korean: 스캔들 (seukaendeul)

→ Malay: skandal

From Middle French scandale (“indignation caused by misconduct or defamatory speech”), from Ecclesiastical Latin scandalum (“that on which one trips, cause of offense”, literally “stumbling block”), from Ancient Greek σκάνδαλον (skándalon, “a trap laid for an enemy, a cause of moral stumbling”), from Proto-Indo-European *skand- (“to jump”). Cognate with Latin scandō (“to climb”). First attested from Old Northern French escandle, but the modern word is a reborrowing. Doublet, via Old French esclandre, of slander.
Sense evolution from "cause of stumbling, that which causes one to sin, stumbling block" to "discredit to reputation, that which brings shame, thing of disgrace" is possibly due to early influence from other similar sounding words for infamy and disgrace (compare Old English scand (“ignominity, scandal, disgraceful thing”), Old High German scanda (“ignominy, disgrace”), Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰 (skanda, “shame, disgrace”)). See shand, shend, shonda.

cog

(Philippines, colloquial) amateur or homemade pornography; (informal) commotion.


charity

en-noun

charity (countable and uncountable, plural charities)

From Middle English charite, from Old French charité, cherte, chariteit, cariteit, from Latin cāritās.

(US, Philippines, basketball, informal) A free throw.


soda

soda (countable and uncountable, plural sodas)

From Italian soda. Sense 4 is an ellipsis of soda water.

(chiefly US, Philippines, uncountable) Any carbonated (usually sweet) soft drink.

agua (colloquial - short for agua gaseosa)

fresco

colloquial - regional and working class usage


Grab

I will take a Grab back home. ("I will book a taxi ride from Grab to return home.")

(Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, informal) A taxi ride booked through the Grab app.


Jun

(Philippines) A diminutive of the male given name Junior


Mr.

Messrs. (plural)
Mr (alternative)
MR (alternative)

Mr. John Doe

Mr. Doe

But only if one forgets that Mr. Tester is 50 years old, he’s seasoned in state politics, he ran a canny, gloves-off campaign, and he’s the kind of charismatic, hard-to-peg, Western neopopulist (like his friend, Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana) who might be, even now, redefining in certain far-reaching ways what it means to be a Democrat.

2007 January 7, Deirdre Mcnamer, “They Came From Montana”, in The New York Times:

(Canada, US, Philippines, formerly or traditionally UK) Abbreviation of Mister.


Que

Borrowed both from Hokkien 郭 (Keh) and Catalan Qué. Doublet of Quek, Guo, and Kwok.

(Philippines) A Chinese surname from Hokkien.


R

(Philippines) region, in the sense of the regions of the Philippines


Senate

(Philippines) The upper house of the Philippine Congress.


Sir

(Philippines, colloquial or informal) A respectful term of address or reference to a man of higher rank or position before the man's given name or nickname.


baller

From ball + -er. The sense referring to extravagance comes from NBA b-ballers being wealthy.

(Philippines, fashion, colloquial) Ellipsis of baller band, a silicone rubber wristband, originating as a basketball sports wristband.


mn

(Philippines) Alternative form of MN (“midnight”).


à la carte

/ˌæ.ləˈkɑːt/

/ˌæ.læˈkɑːt/

/ˌɑ.ləˈkɑɹt/

/ˌɑ.lɑˈkɑɹt/

Unadapted borrowing from French à la carte (“on the menu; according to the card”).

ubor

a la carte (alternative)
à-la-carte (alternative)

(Philippines, particularly in restaurants) A meal but only the viand (without rice).


co-ed

Short for the original phrase coeducational referring to an educational institution that taught males and females together.

To many a student the most appealing subject in college is a coed. A coed is usually less interested in what she gets out of college than whom.

1968, Evan Esar, 20,000 Quips and Quotes:

I gazed wistfully at the pretty coeds.

1980, Dan Millman, Way of the Peaceful Warrior:

(US, Philippines, dated, informal) A young woman who attends college.

1959: A coed is exotic with mascara on her eye lashes, demureness in a sweater, and 'the future homemaker' with a can opener.

(US, Philippines, dated, informal) A (generally young) woman, especially on the campus of a college or other educational institute.


Independence Day

Independence Day
Independence Day (India)
Independence Day (Philippines)

(Philippines) A national holiday in the Philippines observed annually on June 12, commemorating the declaration of Philippine independence from Spain in 1898.


sideline

sidelines (plural)
side line (alternative)
side-line (alternative)


AEC

Angeles Electric Corporation
w:Angeles Electric Corporation

(Philippines) Initialism of Angeles Electric Corporation.


FDA

w:Food and Drug Administration (Philippines)

(Philippines) Initialism of Food and Drug Administration, a Philippine regulatory agency.


PETA

(Philippines) Acronym of Philippine Education Theater Association.


PETA

performance task
performance task#English

(Philippines, education) Initialism of performance task.


bell pepper

en-noun

bell pepper (countable and uncountable, plural bell peppers)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-bell pepper.wav

Near-synonyms: sweet pepper (UK), capsicum (Australia)

Capsicum annuum
Capsicum annuum#Translingual

(Canada, US, Philippines) Any of several bell-shaped varieties of Capsicum annuum, an edible, sweet, generally mild (not spicy) fruit, originating in the New World.


the other day

day before yesterday
day before yesterday


BF

(Philippines, colloquial) Ellipsis of BF Homes.


gimmick

Unknown. Possibly a rough anagram of magic or from gimme.

(Philippines) A night out with one's friends.


vlogger

(Philippines, social media, by extension) A content creator, regardless of whether or not they make vlogs.


NHS

NHS (countable and uncountable, plural NHSes)

(uncountable, Philippines) Initialism of national high school.


OTC

Office of Transportation Cooperatives
w:Office of Transportation Cooperatives

(Philippines) Initialism of Office of Transportation Cooperatives.


COA

Commission on Audit
w:Commission on Audit

(Philippines) Acronym of Commission on Audit.


OCD

Office of Civil Defense
w:Office of Civil Defense (Philippines)

(Philippines) Initialism of Office of Civil Defense.


DOE

Department of Energy
w:Department of Energy (Philippines)

(Philippines) Initialism of Department of Energy.


FC

FC (countable and uncountable, plural FCs)

(Philippines, slang) Initialism of feeling close.


NPA

(Philippines) Initialism of New People's Army.


UC

Initialism of University of the Cordilleras.

University of the Cordilleras
w:University of the Cordilleras

(Philippines)
Initialism of University of Cebu.


NCAP

No Contact Apprehension Policy
w:No Contact Apprehension Policy

(Philippines, road transport) Initialism of No Contact Apprehension Policy.


CR

CR (countable and uncountable, plural CRs)

(Philippines) Initialism of comfort room (“a lavatory”).


CR

en-verb

CR (third-person singular simple present CRs, present participle CRing, simple past and past participle CRed)

CRs (present singular third-person)
CRing (participle present)
CRed (participle past)
CRed (past)

I will CR later after lunch.

(Philippines, colloquial) to go to the comfort room


ABS

acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
anti-lock braking system

(Philippines, colloquial) Ellipsis of ABS-CBN.


DAR

Department of Agrarian Reform
w:Department of Agrarian Reform

(Philippines) Initialism of Department of Agrarian Reform.


SLP

Sustainable Livelihood Program
Sustainable Livelihood Program#English

(Philippines) Initialism of Sustainable Livelihood Program.


PSA

Philippine Statistics Authority
w:Philippine Statistics Authority

(Philippines) Initialism of Philippine Statistics Authority.


IUD

en-noun

IUD (countable and uncountable, plural IUDs)

The Philippine sense is due to the streetfood being reminiscent of an intrauterine device.

(Philippines, informal) barbecued chicken intestine, sold as street food


DOT

D.O.T. (alternative)
D. O. T. (alternative)
DoT (alternative)

Department of Tourism
w:Department of Tourism (Philippines)

(Philippines) Initialism of Department of Tourism.


CPA

CPA (countable and uncountable, plural CPAs)

certified public accountant
certified public accountant#English

(US, Philippines, accounting) Initialism of certified public accountant.


takeaway

Italian: takeaway

Swedish: takeaway

I couldn't be bothered to cook, so I bought a takeaway curry.

(chiefly UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, Hong Kong, sometimes Philippines) (Of food) intended to be eaten off the premises from which it was bought.


CSC

w:Civil Service Commission (Philippines)

(Philippines) Initialism of Civil Service Commission (Philippines).


PNA

Philippine News Agency
w:Philippine News Agency

(Philippines) Initialism of Philippine News Agency.


Cong.

(chiefly Philippines) Abbreviation of Congressman, Congresswoman, or Congressperson.


sanitary napkin

sanitary napkin (plural sanitary napkins)

sanitary napkins (plural)
sanitary pad (alternative Australia)
sanitary towel (alternative UK)

(chiefly US, Philippines) Synonym of menstrual pad: a pad of absorbent material used to absorb menstrual flow.


DOF

D.O.F. (alternative)
D. O. F. (alternative)
D.O.F. (alternative)
D. O. F. (alternative)
df (alternative)
d.f. (alternative)
d. f. (alternative)
d.o.f. (alternative)
d. o. f. (alternative)
DoF (alternative)
D.o.F. (alternative)
D. o. F. (alternative)

Department of Finance
w:Department of Finance (Philippines)

(Philippines) Initialism of Department of Finance.


NPS

National Prosecution Service
w:National Prosecution Service

(Philippines) Initialism of National Prosecution Service.


DBP

Development Bank of the Philippines
w:Development Bank of the Philippines

(Philippines, banking) Initialism of Development Bank of the Philippines.


takeout

takeout (countable and uncountable, plural takeouts)

takeouts (plural)
take-out (alternative)

desc

Japanese: テイクアウト (teikuauto), テークアウト (tēkuauto)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-takeout.wav

(Canada, US, Philippines) Food purchased from a takeaway.


Nihongo

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Nihongo.wav

From Japanese Nihongo, the romaji of 日本語(にほんご) (nihongo).

(rare except in the Philippines; Japanism) Synonym of Japanese: the Japanese language.


bodega

Borrowed from Spanish bodega, from Latin apotheca (“storehouse”), from Ancient Greek ἀποθήκη (apothḗkē, “storehouse”). Doublet of apotheke and boutique.

der

Copra as brought into town from the plantations in bull carts is hauled to the door of his bodega, and the sale is negotiated.

1925, Everett D. Gothwaite, Trade in Philippine Copra and Coconut Oil, page 51:

They allowed Filipinos to go inside the bodega of the Central and get all the sugar they needed.

1958, Reports of Cases Determined in the Supreme Court of the Philippines, page 413:

Under the law, that is sufficient, and they make it clear that the value or the purchase prices is ₱100,000, and the bank is compelled under this proviso to accept the ricemill or bodega as sufficient collateral.

1960, Philippines. Congress (1940-1973). Senate, Republic of the Philippines Congressional Record:


grotto

From Italian grotta, from Vulgar Latin grupta, from Classical Latin crypta. Doublet of crypt.
The Philippine sense is from the holy cave in Lourdes, France.

(Philippines) A garden or roadside shrine with a small cave containing a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary (usually Our Lady of Lourdes and sometimes paired with a water feature)


kindergarten

en-noun

kindergarten (plural kindergartens or (obsolete) kindergärten)

kindergartens (plural)
kindergärten (obsolete plural)
kindergarden (alternative)

/ˈkɪndəɹˌɡɑːɹt(ə)n/

/ˈkɪndəɹˌɡɑːɹd(ə)n/

[ˈkʰɪn(d)əɹˌɡɑːɹt̬(ə)n]

[ˈkʰɪɾ̃əɹˌɡɑːɹʔn̩]

Unadapted borrowing from German Kindergarten (“kindergarten”, literally “garden of children”), coined by German pedagogue Friedrich Fröbel (early 19th century).

ubor

(Philippines) The two levels between nursery and prep; the second and third years of preschool.


parlor

Inherited from Middle English parlour, from Old French parleor, parloir, parleoir, from the verb parler (“to speak”); compare Medieval Latin parlātōrium. Doublet of parloir.

salon

shop or other business selling goods specified by context.

A shop or other business selling goods or services specified by context.

(Philippines) Ellipsis of beauty parlor.


(Philippines, transport) Initialism of point-to-point.


prenup

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-prenup.wav

(Philippines, informal) A casual photoshoot before a wedding


zip code

zip codes (plural)
zipcode (alternative)
ZIP Code (alternative)
ZIP code (alternative)
Zip Code (alternative)
Zip code (alternative)

United States Postal Service
ZIP Code
Zone Improvement Plan

From ZIP Code, a trademark of the United States Postal Service, from ZIP (“Zone Improvement Plan”), introduced 1963.

(Philippines) A postal code, especially for addresses served by PhilPost, consisting of a four-figure number.


highlander

(Philippines) The Igorot people, referring to them originating from the Cordillera Mountain Range.


parking lot

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-parking lot.wav

Should we park in that parking lot, or in the garage up the street?

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

(Canada, US, Philippines, Malaysia) An open area, generally paved, where automobiles may be left when not in use.


tribunal

PIE word
 *tréyes
From Old French tribunal, from Latin tribūnal (“tribunal”), from tribus (“tribe”).

(Philippines, historical) A kind of village hall used to transact business, to quarter troops and travellers, and to confine prisoners.


CIS

Clark International Speedway
w:Clark International Speedway

(Philippines, motor racing) Initialism of Clark International Speedway.


chop suey

en-noun

chop suey (countable and uncountable, plural chop sueys)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-chop suey.wav

From Cantonese 雜碎／杂碎 (zaap⁶ seoi³, “mixed and broken”).

On the walls about were the hieroglyphic markings of the craft. Across this scene wafted the pungent fragrance of chop suey, dim sims and other delicacies in course of preparation for the funeral feast.

1926 December 16, The Telegraph, Brisbane, page 20, column 7:

There was feasting and joy from Shanghai to the Wall,
What with dim-sims, chop-suey and crackers and all,
And the donor of these, by the hook of my crook.
Was Chiang Ki-Konglong, the Mandarin Cook.

1929 February 10, The Sunday Times, Sydney, page 26, column 7:

(US, Philippines, Australia) A stir-fried vegetable dish, served with pieces of beef or pork in a semi-thick sauce, and often soy sauce.


eminent domain

Translation of the Latin term dominium ēminēns “supreme ownership”.

The city council used eminent domain to make me sell my store.

(law, US, Philippines) The right of a government over the private property within its jurisdiction. Usually invoked to compel land owners to sell their property in preparation for a major construction project such as a freeway.

հանրային գերակա շահ

government's right to expropriate private land

expropriation pour cause d'utilité publique


hostess

From Middle English hostesse, from Middle French hostesse, from Old French ostesce, made up of oste (“host”) + -esce (“feminine marker”).


jingle

/ˈd͡ʒɪŋɡ(ə)l/

The verb, which is older than the noun, is from Middle English gyngle. Onomatopoeic; compare jangle.


jingle

en-verb

jingle (third-person singular simple present jingles, present participle jingling, simple past and past participle jingled)

jingles (present singular third-person)
jingling (participle present)
jingled (participle past)
jingled (past)
gingle (alternative)

/ˈd͡ʒɪŋɡ(ə)l/

(Philippines, colloquial) To pee, to urinate.


condo

(US, Canada, Philippines) Clipping of condominium.


temblor

Ever since the San Francisco earthquake of April 18, 1906, scientists have been warning that it is just a matter of time before another major temblor strikes the Bay Area.

2006, Louise Chipley Slavicek, The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire Of 1906, page 107:

The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was measured 4 on Taiwan's 7-tiered intensity scale in Yichu, 3 in Chiayi City and Tainan City's Chiali, as well as 2 in Yunlin County's Touliu City and Shuilin.

2018 November 10, “4.3-magnitude earthquake rocks Taiwan's Chiayi”, in Taiwan News, archived from the original on 2018-11-10, Environment:

PNR trips were suspended at past 1 p.m. after the temblor struck Camarines Norte, but was felt in the city of Manila at Intensity 3.

2022 December 8, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, “PNR suspends trips due to earthquake”, in The Philippine Star:

Ukraine was already dealing with the temblors in the U.S. government.

2023 October 8, Thomas L. Friedman, “Israel’s Worst Day at War”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:


sophomore

From earlier sophumer, from the obsolete sophom, sophum (“sophism or dialectical exercise”), from Ancient Greek σόφισμα (sóphisma). Likely influenced by Ancient Greek σοφός (sophós, “wise”) + μωρός (mōrós, “fool”). Compare oxymoron (literally “sharp-dull”), a similar contradiction.

She was very mature for a sophomore and had several friends who were juniors or even seniors.

(US, Philippines) A second-year undergraduate student in a college or university, or a second-year student in a four-year secondary school or high school.


BOI

Bureau of Immigration
w:Bureau of Immigration (Philippines)

(Philippines) Initialism of Bureau of Immigration.


AFP

Armed Forces of the Philippines
w:Armed Forces of the Philippines

(Philippines, military) Initialism of Armed Forces of the Philippines.


POC

Philippine Olympic Committee
w:Philippine Olympic Committee

(Philippines) Initialism of Philippine Olympic Committee.


BI

(Philippines, slang) Initialism of bad influence.


rotunda

rotundas (plural)
rotundae (plural)
Rotunda (alternative)

Learned borrowing from Latin rotunda, from rotundus (“round”). In the architectural sense, from Sancta Maria Rotunda (the name for a church in the Pantheon).

TPLEX Rotunda is a roundabout located in Rosario, La Union.

(Philippines) Alternative spelling of rotonda.


viand

From Middle English vyaund, from Anglo-Norman and Old French viande, from Late Latin *vivanda, from Latin vīvenda, from the verb vīvō (“I live”). Compare victual.
The Philippines usage is an anglicization of Spanish vianda (which is ultimately from Latin via French), which is used to translate ulam in Tagalog. See also usage notes.

(Philippines) rice topping; any food eaten with rice as a part of a main course meal.


TDC

Theoretical Driving Course
Theoretical Driving Course#English

(Philippines) Initialism of Theoretical Driving Course.


barrio

Borrowed from Spanish barrio, from Arabic بَرِّيّ (barriyy, “wild”).

In the barrio, they talked excitedly about the wood-gatherer's discovery. There was so much pushing and quibbling over details that by the time the barrio had organized itself to set out for Salug to investigate, dusk had already fallen.

2008, Resil B. Mojares, “Beast in the Fields”, in Gémino H. Abad, editor, Upon Our Own Ground: Filipino short stories in English: 1956 to 1972, page 413:

(Philippines) A rural barangay or neighborhood.


fallo

en-noun

fallo (usually uncountable, plural fallos)

(Philippines, law) The dispositive portion of a court's ruling, coming at the end of the ruling.


sitio

Borrowed from Spanish sitio. Doublet of site and situs.

(Philippines) a subdivision of a barangay, typically rural.


NN

(modifying a numeral, twelve, Philippines, Singapore) Abbreviation of noon.


Rizal Day

(Philippines) A holiday celebrated on December 30th in honor of the death of a hero named José Rizal who was killed on December 30, 1896.


grade school

In contrast to high schools, the subsequent secondary school type, classes of this kind of school do not have typical nicknames.
In a grade school all classes are simply enumerated 1st to 8th grade (called form or year in British English).
In a high school, on the other hand, school year groups are in everyday parlance referred to as freshman/sophomore/junior/senior year.

(US, Philippines, rarely Canada, education) Elementary school; primary school.


inhibition

inhibition (countable and uncountable, plural inhibitions)

/ɪnhɪˈbɪʃən/

From Middle English inhibicioun, inhibicione from Old French inibicion, from Latin inhibitio.
Morphologically inhibit + -ion.


LRA

w:Land Registration Authority (Philippines)

(Philippines) Initialism of Land Registration Authority (Philippines).


napkin

From Middle English napkyn, equivalent to nape (“cloth”) + -kin.

(Philippines) Ellipsis of sanitary napkin.


sorority

PIE word
 *swésōr
From Renaissance Latin sorōritās, from Latin soror (“sister”), from Proto-Indo-European *swésōr. Akin to Spanish sororidad, Portuguese sororidade, French sororité.

Every day is a party at this sorority!

(US, Philippines) A social organization of female students at a college or university; usually identified by Greek letters.


raffle

From Middle English rafle, from Old French rafle, raffle (“dice game", also "plundering”), from rafler (“to snatch, seize, carry off”), from Frankish *raffolōn, from Proto-Germanic *hrapōną, *hrēpōną (“to scratch, touch, pluck out, snatch”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreb(h)-, *(s)kerb(h)- (“to turn, bend, shrink”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to turn, bend”). Cognate with Middle Dutch raffel (“dice game”), German raffen (“to snatch away, sweep off”), Old English hreppan (“to touch, treat, attack”).

cog

(Philippines, law) The system by which cases are assigned to judges in multi-sala courts.


blowout

(Philippines) a party (such as a birthday party)


kiddo

Okay, kiddo, I gotta run.

(US, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines) A close friend; especially used as a form of address.

The books say it's normal. Toddlers often stop napping around this age, and the average amount of sleep needed by a two-year-old is between nine and thirteen hours. My kiddo cuts logs for twelve hours at a stretch, so she's plenty rested.

2008, Robin Dutton-Cookston, The Foggiest Idea: Tales of a Displaced Texan in San Francisco Mamaland, page 51:

(US, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines) A child.


marker

en-noun

marker (countable and uncountable, plural markers)

marker interface → marker interface pattern

(Philippines, informal, basketball, volleyball) A point, unit of scoring in a game or competition.


knock on wood

en-verb

knock on wood (third-person singular simple present knocks on wood, present participle knocking on wood, simple past and past participle knocked on wood)

knocks on wood (present singular third-person)
knocking on wood (participle present)
knocked on wood (participle past)
knocked on wood (past)

(idiomatic, US, Philippines) To take a customary action to ward off some misfortune that is believed to be attracted by a presumptuous statement.

to take a customary action to ward off misfortune

чукам на дърво (čukam na dǎrvo, literally “to knock on wood”)

χτύπα ξύλο (chtýpa xýlo, literally “hit wood”)

زدن به تخته (zanad be taxta, literally “to knock on the table”)

постуча́ть по де́реву pf (postučátʹ po dérevu, literally “to knock on wood”)

сплю́нуть че́рез ле́вое плечо́ pf (spljúnutʹ čérez lévoje plečó, literally “to spit over the left shoulder”)


knock on wood

I do a lot of walking, and I have never had any knee problems yet, knock on wood.

(idiomatic, US, Philippines) Hopefully; a self-directive to undertake the customary action to ward off bad luck.

hopefully; used when undertaking such a customary action

أَمْسِكْ الْخَشَبَ (ʔamsik al-ḵašaba, literally “seize wood”)

(Lebanon) دُقَّ عَالْخَشَبَ (duqqa ʕālḵašaba, literally “knock on wood”)

大吉利是 (daai⁶ gat¹ lai⁶ si⁶, literally “lucky lucky”)

syv-ni-tretten; while physically knocking under a table or on wood

χτύπα ξύλο (chtýpa xýlo, literally “knock on wood”)

בלי עין הרע (bli 'áyin hará', literally “without the evil eye”)

מלח מים (mélakh máyim, literally “salt, water”)

שום בצל (shum batzál, literally “garlic, onion”)

桑原桑原 (くわばらくわばら, kuwabara kuwabara, literally “mulberry field mulberry field”)

بزن به تخته (bezan be taxta, literally “knock on the table”)

چشم بد دور (češm-e bad dur, literally “far [be] the evil eye”)


trolley

trolleys (plural)
trollies (plural)
trolly (alternative)

→ Catalan: tròlei

→ French: trolley

→ Romanian: troleu

→ German: Trolley

→ Welsh: troli

Early 19th century (1823) meaning "cart", of dialectal origin (Suffolk), probably from troll (“to trundle, roll”) + -ey (diminutive ending).


salvage

Borrowed from Spanish salvaje, from Catalan salvatge, from Late Latin *salvāticus, alteration of Latin silvāticus (“wild”, literally “of the woods”). Confused false friends; English salvage and Tagalog salbahe (“mischievous, naughty”).

cog

(Philippines) Summary execution, extrajudicial killing.


salvage

en-verb

salvage (third-person singular simple present salvages, present participle salvaging, simple past and past participle salvaged)

salvages (present singular third-person)
salvaging (participle present)
salvaged (participle past)
salvaged (past)

(Philippines) To perform summary execution.

(Philippines) To apprehend and execute (a suspected criminal) without trial.


dago

Alteration of diego (“Spaniard”), from Spanish Diego (common Spanish name) by law of Hobson-Jobson.

Sort of dago fellow; leads the orchestra down at the Winter Gardens ... You know the sort, all lah-di-dah and snakeskin shoes.

1932, Dorothy L Sayers, chapter 10, in Have His Carcase:

"Matilda's making us omelettes, that all right, Miss Tomson."
"Are they going to reek."
"Dear me, I hope not. I instructed her to leave out particularly strong ingredients."
"Just so I don't leave here smelling like a dago."

1963, J P Donleavy, A Singular Man, published 1963 (USA), page 19:

(US, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, slang, offensive, ethnic slur) A person of Italian descent.


number two

en-noun

number two (countable and uncountable, plural number twos)

(Philippines) mistress (the other woman in an extramarital relationship, generally including sexual relations)


vega

(Latin America, Philippines) An open tract of ground; a plain, especially one which is moist and fertile, such as those used for growing tobacco.


canvass

en-verb

canvass (third-person singular simple present canvasses, present participle canvassing, simple past and past participle canvassed)

canvasses (present singular third-person)
canvassing (participle present)
canvassed (participle past)
canvassed (past)
canvas (alternative)

The verb is derived from canvas (“type of coarse cloth woven from hemp”). The connection between “to toss (someone) in a (canvas) sheet; (by extension) to batter, beat, or thrash (someone or something); etc.” and “to seek the support of voters or a constituency in a forthcoming election or poll” is not entirely clear.
The noun is derived from the verb. It has been suggested that noun sense 4.2 (“rejection (at an election, of a suit, etc.)”) may refer to the canvas bag used by journeymen mechanics which they used to pack up their tools after they had completed their jobs, in which case it is not derived from the verb but directly from canvas (noun).

nb...

Now First Collected; with Notes by the Late William Gifford, Esq. and Additional Notes, and Some Account of Shirley and His Writings, by the Rev. Alexander Dyce. In Six Volumes.

The poll was cloſed when the Court thought they had the majority: But upon caſting it up it appeared they had loſt it: So they fell to canvaſs it: And they made ſuch exceptions to thoſe of the other ſide, that they diſcounted as many voices as gave them the majority.

a. 1716 (date written), [Gilbert] Burnet, “Book III. Of the Rest of King Charles II’s Reign, from the Year 1673 to the Year 1685, in which He Died.”, in [Gilbert Burnet Jr.], editor, Bishop Burnet’s History of His Own Time. […], volume I, London: […] Thomas Ward […], published 1724, →OCLC, page 530:

Teams of two people - called “canvassing teams” - review ballots and the envelopes with the ballots inside.

2024, State of Maryland, Maryland State Board of Elections, retrieved 2024-10-18:

(by extension, politics, obsolete except US, Philippines) To scrutinize (the ballot in an election or the votes cast) and reject irregular votes; also, to challenge or dispute (an election result).


janitor

janitors (plural)
janitress (feminine)
janitrix (feminine rare)

→ Bikol Central: dyanitor

→ Cebuano: dyanitor

→ Hiligaynon: dyanitor

→ Ilocano: dyanitor

→ Tagalog: dyanitor

(chiefly US, Philippines) Someone who looks after the maintenance and cleaning of a public building.

(Scotland, Hong Kong) A caretaker or custodian; someone who maintains a school building specifically and may serve other administrative roles.

curator

One who maintains a collection, especially in a museum


short title

Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021

The short title of this Act is the Companies Act 2006.

2006, Parliament of the United Kingdom, Companies Act 2006, section 1298:

(law, Commonwealth, US, Philippines) A title given to an act (or other piece of legislation) to facilitate citation; generally used as the common name for that legislation.


PAR

Philippine Area of Responsibility
w:Philippine Area of Responsibility

(Philippines, meteorology) Acronym of Philippine Area of Responsibility.


xerox copy

xerox copies (plural)
xeroxcopy (alternative)
zerox copy (alternative)

Bring a xerox copy of your driver's licence.

(slang, US, Philippines) A xerox; a photocopy.

(slang, Philippines) something exactly the same as something else


high school

en-noun

high school (countable and uncountable, plural high schools)

high schools (plural)
highschool (alternative proscribed)
HS (alternative)

Inherited from Middle English hyȝ scole (“school for higher education”), equivalent to high + school. Cognate with Dutch hogeschool (“academy, university, graduate school”), German Hochschule (“academy, college, university”).

cog

(Philippines) A secondary education school, consisting of junior high school and senior high school (grades 7-12)

(Philippines, historical) A secondary education school for years 1-4 (now junior high school)


dual carriageway

en-noun

dual carriageway (plural dual carriageways)

(UK, Philippines) A road in which the two directions of traffic are separated by a central barrier or strip of land, known as a central reservation or median.


stoplight

stoplights (plural)
stop light (alternative)

(US, Philippines) A traffic control signal, traditionally consisting of three lights, colored green, yellow/amber, and red, meaning proceed, prepare to stop, and stop, respectively.


Zambo

(Philippines)
Clipping of Zamboanga City


birdie

birdies (plural)
birdy (alternative rare)


lay-by

lay-by (countable and uncountable, plural lay-bys)

lay-bys (plural)
lay by (alternative)
lay bye (alternative)
lay-bye (alternative)

(UK, Philippines) A paved area at the side of a highway designated for drivers to stop in, for emergency parking, or where vehicles can wait, with larger lay-bys possibly having facilities like food vendors or public telephones.


bangs

bangs pl (normally plural, singular bang)

From bang (“to cut [hair], dock [an animal's tail]”), probably from the sudden manner in which docked hair appears to burst out explosively when it's cut (i.e. "with a bang"). Ultimately from bang (“to strike noisily, explode”).

(chiefly US, Philippines) Hair hanging over the forehead.


finals

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, Philippines, sports) A contest that narrows a field of contestants (finalists) to ranked positions, usually in numbered places (1st place/prize, 2nd place/prize, etc.) or a winner and numbered runners-up (1st runner-up, etc.).


momma

No spitting of momma here.

(Philippines, chiefly Cordillera) A betel nut plus other ingredients (like areca nut, betel leaves, slaked lime, and tobacco) to be chewed on.


DOSRI

(Philippines, banking) Acronym of Directors, Officers, Stakeholders, and other Related Interests.


preschool

preschools (plural)
pre-school (alternative)

(Philippines) A school including nursery and kindergarten. It is succeeded by elementary school.


fries

fries pl (normally plural, singular fry)

(cooking, chiefly Canada, US, Philippines) Ellipsis of french fries.


happy holidays

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-happy holidays.wav

In the United States people say Happy Holidays to include all people on the earth: the Jewish people Celebrating Hanukah, Africans celebrating Kwanza, Middle Eastern people celebrating Eid, Christians celebrating Christmas, […]

2009, Ruben Santos Claveria, Holiday Songs and Kisses: Christmas Songs And other Poems:

Madeleine Mayfair, What Should I Write? 101 Holiday Wishes for Greeting Cards
Season's greetings and happy holidays!

(Canada, US, Philippines) A greeting used during the Christmas and winter holiday season to recognize the celebration of many holidays, sometimes starting with Thanksgiving and including Hanukkah, the winter solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Day.


blow-dryer

blow-dryers (plural)
blow drier (alternative)
blow-drier (alternative)
blowdrier (alternative)
blow dryer (alternative)
blowdryer (alternative)

(US, Philippines) A handheld electrical device used for drying hair.


band-aid

band-aids (plural)
bandaid (alternative)

Genericized trademark from Band-Aid, registered and coined by Johnson & Johnson in 1924 as band(age) + aid.

(Australia, Canada, US, Philippines) An adhesive bandage, a small piece of fabric or plastic that may be stuck to the skin in order to temporarily cover a small wound.

It was another of those political band-aids patted over a minor sore.

1968, United Church Observer, n 15 (March), p 36

(Australia, Canada, US, Philippines, informal) A temporary or makeshift solution to a problem, created ad hoc and often with a lack of foresight.


nervous breakdown

nervous breakdown (plural nervous breakdowns)

(Philippines) A psychological disorder usually characterized by panic attacks and aggressiveness, related to the Hispanic ataque de nervios.


fixer

(Philippines, by extension) Someone who is often paid that helps a customer cut through red tape, especially for government processes or applications.


pocketbook

pocketbooks (plural)
pocket-book (alternative)
pocket book (alternative)

→ Gulf Arabic: بوك (būk, “wallet”)

→ Najdi Arabic: بوك (būk, “wallet”)

1610s, from pocket + book, popularized in its sense as a paperback by the success of Pocket Books in the United States after its 1939 launch.

(uncommon) A small book, particularly (US) a paperback or (UK) notebook able to fit into a pocket (of any genre, from reference work to fine art).

(Philippines, by extension) A romance novel published as a small paperback.


endo

endo (countable and uncountable, plural endos)

Coined from end of contract, as used on the contracts given to workers under the system.

The landmark measure meant to eliminate 'endo' or the practice subcontracting of labor.

2019 July 27, Virgil Lopez, “Panelo corrects self on veto of Security of Tenure bill”, in GMA News Online, retrieved 2019-07-26:

[...] 13 local and foreign business chambers asked "the president to veto the security of tenure bill" since it "is redundant as there are previously approved laws that already protects workers from 'endo' (end of contract scheme), [...]"

2019 July 27, Vann Marlo M. Villegas, “Duterte strikes down measure tightening labor contracting rules”, in BusinessWorld, retrieved 2019-07-26:

2019 July 27, Virgil Lopez, “Palace: Duterte to pursue promise to stop 'endo' within his term”, in GMA News Online, retrieved 2019-07-26:

(Philippines, uncountable) A labor contracting system where workers are hired by employment agencies to work for a specific period of time until being replaced and prohibited from being re-hired.

[…] Labor Day is just around the corner, hence, it is timely to examine the current and hot issues affecting the workers’ sector. One such issue concerns the matter of endos, contractuals and contractualized employees. / Endos, contractuals and contractualized employees do not enjoy full security of tenure rights as guaranteed by the Constitution and the Labor Code.

2018 April 26, Art Amansec, “Of ‘endos,’ contractuals and contractualized employees”, in BusinessMirror:

(Philippines, countable) A person employed under this system.


supposedly

My parents told me I am supposedly in bed by 10 P.M.

(Philippines, informal) Used in place of "supposed to be," often in informal or colloquial speech, as a mispronunciation.


suki

Borrowed from Tagalog suki, from Hokkien 主客 (chú-kheh, “regular customer or dealer”).

der

Near the opposite end of the suki continuum, the "subjective" pole, are special suki.

1973, William G. Davis, Social Relations in a Philippine Market: Self-interest and Subjectivity, →ISBN, page 230:

Frequent buyers in a particular store become the suki, so that with this kind of a relationship, the marketgoer gets an extra treat, like obtaining more tomatoes for the price of a kilo.

2007, Isabel S. Panopio, Realidad Santico Rolda, Society & Culture, →ISBN, page 216:

The suki relationship in the Philippines, a credit/marketing linkage, is often assumed to be exploitative of the fisher.

2011, Robert S. Pomeroy, Neil Andrew, Small-scale Fisheries Management, →ISBN, page 169:

(Philippines, business) a favored customer; a regular who receives preferential treatment


stockings

(Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, plural only) pantyhose


Santiago

/sæntiˈɑːɡəʊ/

Chinese Filipino
Guan Yu
James, brother of Jesus
Jose Rizal
Santiago
Santiago (disambiguation)

From Spanish Santiago, ellision of earlier Sant'Iago and Sant Iago, from Latin Sanctus Iācōbus (“Saint James or holy James”), the latter word deriving from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (ya‘ăqṓḇ, “Jacob”, literally “he will/shall heel”), from עָקֵב (‘āqḗḇ, “heel”) and the Biblical account of the patriarch Jacob's birth in Genesis 25:26. Piecewise doublet of Saint James.
The Guan Yu sense among Chinese Filipinos in the Philippines is due to a syncretic association of the deified Chinese general with St. James, who are both known for their assertiveness and heroism, which non-Chinese and people in the Philippines like Jose Rizal during the 19th century first associated with and/or surmised the Chinese folk deities venerated by Chinese Filipinos on Chinese altars and prints with popular Christian or Muslim figures.

(Philippines, Chinese Filipino, Chinese folk religion, Taoism) Synonym of Guan Yu, a famous 2nd-century Chinese warrior subsequently worshipped as a god of war.

Chinese Filipino; Chinese folk religion; Taoism; Chinese Filipino; Chinese folk religion; Taoism


tocino

Borrowed from Spanish tocino (literally “bacon”).

bor+

(Philippines) sweetened and cured pork belly


CAR

(Philippines) Acronym of Cordillera Administrative Region.


MDT

w:Mutual Defense Treaty (United States-Philippines)

(US, Philippines, military, politics) Initialism of Mutual Defense Treaty (United States-Philippines).


lowlander

(Philippines, chiefly Cordillera, somewhat derogatory) anyone who is not living on the Cordillera Mountain Range.


taipan

taipans (plural)
taepan (alternative)
tai-pan (alternative)
typan (alternative)

From Cantonese 大班 (daai⁶ baan¹, “big shot, rich businessman”), originally as taepan. Related to tycoon, from Japanese 大君(たいくん) (taikun).

uder

(Philippines) A tycoon (usually of Chinese Filipino background)


puto

From Tagalog puto (and other Philippine languages), from Malay putu as in Malay kuih putu (“Kue putu”), from Tamil புட்டு (puṭṭu, “a Tamil dish”).

(Philippines) A rice cake made of boiled or steamed rice.


fill up

en-verb

fill up (third-person singular simple present fills up, present participle filling up, simple past and past participle filled up)

fills up (present singular third-person)
filling up (participle present)
filled up (participle past)
filled up (past)

(Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, transitive) To fill in / fill out a form etc.


derma

(India, Philippines, colloquial) Clipping of dermatologist.


caregiver

caregivers (plural)
care-giver (alternative)

The coronavirus has turned caregivers around the world into homeschoolers.

2020 March 16, Matt Villano, “How ‘regular school’ parents can homeschool their kids”, in CNN:

‘Caregivers in this role can suffer as much as the patients. It can be very stressful.’

2020, Avni Doshi, Burnt Sugar, Hamish Hamilton, page 76:

Taking care of an elderly parent or seriously ill spouse or family member can be physically and emotionally draining — and expensive for the caregiver in more ways than one.

2024 October 6, Jeanne Sahadi, “How companies can ease the strain on employees taking care of elderly parents or ill family members”, in CNN:

(Canada, US, Philippines) A carer; a person who looks after another person.


DH

(Philippines) Initialism of domestic helper.


drinking fountain

en-noun

drinking fountain (plural drinking fountains)

(UK, Upper Midwestern US, Western US, Philippines) A device in a public place that provides water to drink.

飲水機 /饮水机

device that is used to provide water to drink


CSU

Cagayan State University
w:Cagayan State University

(Philippines) Initialism of Cagayan State University.


brownout

brownouts (plural)
brown out (alternative)
brown-out (alternative)

A deverbal from brown out, by analogy with blackout.

Remember that you can't send or receive a fax if there is a brownout. ... Due to blackouts (the Philippine term is brownout), especially during the dry season, be prepared with a flashlight and don't forget to save your data in your PC.

(Philippines, Australia, Hong Kong) A blackout, regardless of time of day.


area code

(US, Australia, Philippines) A prefix appended to a telephone number indicating the geographical area.


duster

desc

→ Cebuano: daster (“type of loose dress worn at home”)

→ Indonesian: daster (“type of loose dress worn at home”)

→ Tagalog: daster (“type of loose dress worn at home”)

Near-synonym: housedress

(Philippines) A type of loose dress worn at home as well as within the vicinity of one's home.


tita

(Philippines, slang) a young adult woman exhibiting the stereotypical characteristics of a Filipina aunt


ice bag

From ice + bag. The second sense is possibly a calque of a Philippine language.

(Philippines) A thin plastic bag, of varying sizes, used primarily for freezing water to be sold as ice.


townhouse

townhouses (plural)
town house (alternative)

From town + house. Compare Dutch tuinhuis (“summer house, cabana”), tuinhuisje (“bower”).

(chiefly US, Canada, Australia, Philippines) A row house or terraced house.


GSP

Girl Scouts of the Philippines
w:Girl Scouts of the Philippines

(Philippines, scouting) Initialism of Girl Scouts of the Philippines.


vulcanizing

vulcanizing shop
vulcanizing shop#English

(Philippines, informal) Ellipsis of vulcanizing shop.


wake up and smell the coffee

en-verb

wake<,,woke,woken> up and smell<,,:smelt> the coffee

wake up and smell the coffee (third-person singular simple present wakes up and smells the coffee, present participle waking up and smelling the coffee, simple past woke up and smelled the coffee or woke up and smelt the coffee, past participle woken up and smelled the coffee or woken up and smelt the coffee)

wakes up and smells the coffee (present singular third-person)
waking up and smelling the coffee (participle present)
woke up and smelled the coffee (past)
woke up and smelt the coffee (past)
woken up and smelled the coffee (participle past)
woken up and smelt the coffee (participle past)

Probably a humorous elaboration of wake up (“to become more aware of a real-life situation; to concentrate on the matter in hand”), alluding to the fact that coffee is often consumed at breakfast time after waking up in the morning. The term was popularized by the American writer Esther Pauline “Eppie” Lederer (1918–2002), who used the pen name Ann Landers, in the syndicated newspaper advice column Ask Ann Landers.

Your paper gains "notice" as an example of the use of English as it should not be written nor spoken. Wake up and smell the coffee.

1927 June 4, Purist [pseudonym], “Smelling the coffee [letter]”, in John S[hivley] Knight, editor, Akron Beacon Journal, number 157, Akron, Oh.: Beacon Journal Co., →OCLC, page 4, column 5:

A few years back, when a wife told her husband to "wake up and smell the coffee," it usually was said in utter derision. Now, when there is coffee to smell, she shouts it to him in supreme delight.

1943 January 18, Guy Finamore, “Rationing dept.”, in Chicago Daily Tribune, volume CII, number 15, Chicago, Ill.: Wheeler, Stewart & Scripps, →OCLC, page 17, column 2:

Wake up and smell the coffee, Dummy. You're a comfort station on a back-street detour. Send him on his way.

1970 November 29, Ann Landers [pseudonym; Esther Pauline “Eppie” Lederer], “Wake up, smell the coffee”, in The News & Observer, volume CC, number 152, Raleigh, N.C.: News & Observer Pub. Co., →ISSN, →OCLC, section III (Today’s Woman), page 20, column 4:

Dear God, was she going to look at everybody who owned a truck with this sort of suspicion? “Come on, Heskell. Wake up and smell the coffee. They've become the singles bars of the nineties.[…]”

1997 October, Joanna Elm, chapter 6, in Delusion, 1st mass market edition, New York, N.Y.: Tor Books, published January 1999, →ISBN, page 51:

He had opened his eyes, which was what his first wife was always telling him to do—open your eyes, Al, wake up and smell the coffee—and seen that Rosalind was at least as unhappy as he was, […]

2000, Jane Smiley, “Breeders’ Cup”, in Horse Heaven, 1st trade paperback edition, New York, N.Y.: Ballantine Books, published 2001, →ISBN, book 2 (1998), page 319:

(idiomatic, US, Philippines, informal) Often in the infinitive or imperative: to face reality and stop deluding oneself.

面對現實 /面对现实

снять ро́зовые очки́ pf (snjatʹ rózovyje očkí, literally “take off pink glasses”)


Scotch tape

→ Romanian: scoci

→ Russian: скотч (skotč)

→ Spanish: cinta Scotch (calque)

Genericized trademark from Scotch Tape. Reportedly a reference to the stereotypical tendency of the Scottish towards thrift, due to cutting of corners with the product initially produced. Compare Dutch oven for similar sense of origin.

(US, Philippines, Singapore, Canada) Transparent or translucent pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, used for sealing items together, especially paper.


fire marshal

fire marshals (plural)
fire marshall (alternative)

(US, Philippines) A public official with police powers responsible for enforcing fire safety regulations, and sometimes, who also investigates suspicious fires.


catering

en-noun

catering (countable and uncountable, plural caterings)

[ˈkeɪ.ɾɚ.ɪŋ]

(uncountable, UK, Philippines) The business of providing food and related services; foodservice.

تَمْوِين

the business of providing food and related services


scalawag

scalawags (plural)
scallawag (alternative)
scalliwag (alternative)
scallywag (alternative)
skalawag (alternative)

Of obscure origin, perhaps from the name of the Shetland village of Scalloway (from Old Norse Skálavágr), known for its dwarf ponies and dwarf cattle.

(Philippines, law enforcement, military) rogue police; rogue military personnel


mache

Compare Tagalog matse, Cebuano masi, Kapampangan mutsi (“moche”). See also buchi, muah chee, Hokkien 麻糍 (môa-chî).

(Philippines) Glutinous rice balls flavoured with coconut and pandan.


chupa

From Philippine Spanish chupa, probably from Malay cupak.

(Philippines, historical) A unit of volume equivalent to around 375 mL.


JO

JO (countable and uncountable, plural JOs)


photostat

(Malaysia, Philippines) A photocopy made using a photocopier.


NPC

National Power Corporation
w:National Power Corporation

(Philippines) Initialism of National Power Corporation.

National Privacy Commission
w:National Privacy Commission

(Philippines) Initialism of National Privacy Commission.


cartolina

From Spanish cartulina, from Italian cartolina, ultimately from carta (“paper”) + -lina. Compare Tagalog kartulina and Portuguese cartolina.

(Philippines) large sheet of colored paper (usually in rolls)


coding

coding (countable and uncountable, plural codings)

Etymology tree
English code
English -ing
English coding
From code + -ing.

etymon

(Philippines) Ellipsis of number coding.


coding

My car is coding today, so I cannot drive.

(Philippines) Applied to vehicles when they are under number coding.


barangay

barangays (plural)
balangay (alternative)
Brgy. (alternative)

/bɐ.ɾɐŋˈɡaɪ̯/

Because of this active involvement of the civilian and other auxiliary units (e.g. barangay tanod), the police are able to devote their time and resources to the control and prevention of serious crimes.

1987, Marcelo M. Orense, Nelia R. Marquez, Philippine Yearbook, page 77:

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) shall establish and administer an appropriate system under which the punong barangay, the members of the sangguniang barangay, the barangay secretary, the barangay treasurer, and the members of the brangay tanod shall enjoy insurance coverage as provided in this Code and other pertinent laws .

1991 October 28, “Miscellaneous and Final Provisions”, in Official Gazette: Republic of the Philippines, volume 87, number 43, page 263:

The victim is always addressed as the "datu" or rich man of their Barangay and enjoyed an economic ascendancy over Marcelino, a mere barangay tanod.

2021, Deogenes Nambayan Agellon, Criminal Law Case Digests:

The smallest local government unit in the Philippines, a subdivision of a city or municipality.


cavan

From Spanish caván, from Tagalog kaban as "Manila cavan", via Cebuano as the "provincial cavan".

(Philippines, historical, chiefly Manila) A unit of dry capacity approximately equivalent to 2.3 US bushels.

(Philippines, dated) A sackful equivalent to 50 kilograms.


cuajo

From Spanish cuajo, from Hokkien, possibly 看好 (khòaⁿ-hó) or 看護 /看护 (khàn-hō͘ / khòaⁿ-hō͘ / khan-hō͘) or 看虎 (khòaⁿ hó͘, literally “watching the tiger”). Compare Tagalog kuwaho, Kapampangan kuwaho, English khanhoo.

(Philippines, card games) a kind of card game, similar to Khanhoo


cha-cha

(Philippines, politics, colloquial) Abbreviation of charter change.


estafa

Unadapted borrowing from Spanish estafa.


RA

(Philippines, law) Initialism of republic act.


stateside

(Philippines) imported (especially of goods)


jeep

→ Mandarin: 吉普 (jípǔ)

→ Bikol Central: dyip

→ Cebuano: dyip

→ Czech: džíp

→ Danish: jeep

→ Esperanto: ĵipo

→ Faroese: jeppur

→ Finnish: jeeppi

→ French: jeep

→ German: Jeep

→ Hungarian: dzsip

→ Icelandic: jeppi

→ Irish: jíp

→ Italian: jeep

→ Japanese: ジープ (jīpu)

→ Polish: dżip

→ Portuguese: jipe

→ Russian: джип (džip) (see there for further descendants)

→ Serbo-Croatian: džȉp, џи̏п

→ Slovak: džíp

→ Spanish: jeep

→ Swedish: jeep

→ Tagalog: dyip

→ Tausug: jīp

→⇒ Tibetan: མོ་ཊ་ཇིབ (mo ṭa jib)

→ Turkish: cip

→ Welsh: jîp

Derived from GP, initialism of general-purpose. Noun from General Purpose Vehicle (military light utility truck).

Jeep

trademark derived from the military vehicle

(Philippines, colloquial) Clipping of jeepney


maci

→ Cebuano: masi

macy (alternative Cebu)
muah chee (alternative Singapore)

(Philippines, chiefly Cebu) A traditional Chinese rice cake snack made of glutinous rice, peanuts, and sugar.


OPM

Original Pilipino Music
Original Pilipino Music#English

(Philippines) Initialism of Original Pilipino Music, Original Philippine Music, or Original Pinoy Music.


Arta

The place in Greece is from Ancient Greek Άρτα (Árta). The place in Djibouti is from Arabic عرته or Somali Carta.

Anti-Red Tape Authority
w:Anti-Red Tape Authority

(Philippines) Acronym of Anti-Red Tape Authority.


UB

(Philippines)
Initialism of University of Baguio.

University of Baguio
w:University of Baguio

(Philippines)
Initialism of University of Batangas.

University of Batangas
w:University of Batangas


overpass

/ˈəʊvə(ɹ)pɑːs/

/əʊvə(ɹ)ˈpɑːs/

The homeless man had built a little shelter, complete with cook-stove, beneath a concrete overpass.

By visible evidence, this Saturday morning is a comparatively placid one. Earlier in the week a young man had died after being stabbed in a flat, and from the overpass at Archway Road, darkly referred to as “suicide bridge,” another man had jumped to his death.

2018 February, Robert Draper, “They are Watching You—and Everything Else on the Planet: Technology and Our Increasing Demand for Security have Put Us All under Surveillance. Is Privacy Becoming just a Memory?”, in National Geographic, Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2018-06-14:

A section of a road or path that crosses over an obstacle, especially another road, railway, etc.


Lunchables, made by Kraft Heinz, took its packaged ready-to-eat kids meals directly into K-12 school lunchrooms nationwide through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) for the first time last year.

2024 April 9, Parija Kavilanz and Sandee LaMotte, “Consumer Reports says Lunchables ‘should not be allowed on menu’ for schools, petitions USDA for removal”, in CNN:

(Canada, US, Philippines, education) Kindergarten through 12th grade (US) / grade 12 (Canada and the Philippines).


payola

en-noun

payola (countable and uncountable, plural payolas)

Perhaps a blend of pay + Victrola, equivalent to pay + -ola.

(US, Philippines) A bribe given in exchange for a favor, such as one given in exchange for the promotion of goods or services (originally one given to a disk jockey to play a record).


primary school

primary school (countable and uncountable, plural primary schools)

The child's mother was tearful as he boarded the bus for his first day of primary school.

My primary school is a good place to study.

(British, Australia, sometimes Philippines, education) A formal, obligatory kind of school that typically begins with nursery school or first grade and ends at fifth or sixth grade.


elementary school

elementary school (countable and uncountable, plural elementary schools)

(Philippines) A primary education school for grades 1-6 (a continuation of preschool). It is succeeded by junior high school.


barkada

From Tagalog barkada, from Philippine Spanish barcada (“gang of friends”), from Spanish barcada (“shipload”).

der

(Philippines) gang; clique; informal group of friends


potato chip

I'll take a potato chip, and eat it!

2007 December 8, “目線 [Glare]”, in デスノート [Death Note], spoken by Light Yagami (Brad Swaile), Ocean Productions, via Adult Swim:

(Canada, US, Australia, Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong, New Zealand) A potato crisp, a thin slice of potato that has been fried.


OP

(Philippines, some other countries, politics) Initialism of Office of the President.


office mate

office mates (plural)
officemate (alternative)


number 2 pencil

en-noun

number 2 pencil (plural number 2 pencils)

number 2 pencils (plural)
№ 2 pencil (alternative)

I snapped to rigid attention when the teacher barked, "Clear your desks, get your number two pencils out, and get ready for your exam." Exam! What exam?

1990, Allender Crabb, Lawrence J. Crabb, Larry Crabb, Dan B. Allender, Encouragement: The Key to Caring, page 30:

You shall not, I repeat, not, touch them with your finely sharpened number-two pencils or any other marking instrument until you are explicitly told to do so.

2003, Trey Ellis, Platitudes: & the New Black Aesthetic, page 64:

In using this system, absentee voters were instructed to mark their ballots with number two pencils. The optical scanner rejected ballots which were marked with instruments other than number two pencils.

2006, Barry H. Weinberg, The Resolution of Election Disputes: Legal Principles That Control Election, page 128:

"Mrs. Landry, I forgot to bring my number two pencils! Does that mean I flunk this test?" Big tears filled Joey's eyes.

2006, Barbara Slater Stern, curriculum and teaching dialogue: V. 8, page 33:

(US, Philippines) A pencil which produces a specific shade of dark gray. One can usually identify a number 2 pencil by looking for the number "2" conspicuously emblazoned on the pencil. Often required for test-taking and the completion of official forms.


tickler

(Philippines) A small notebook that fits the pocket or pocket notebook.


train station

I got into the cab and told the cabman to drive up to the Dover train station.

1856 November 14, “The Great Gold Robbery. Extraordinary Disclosures.”, in The Daily News, number 3,275, London, page 5, column 3:

(chiefly US, Philippines) A place where trains stop for passengers to embark and disembark.


BSP

Boy Scouts of the Philippines
w:Boy Scouts of the Philippines

(Philippines, scouting) Initialism of Boy Scouts of the Philippines.


benevolent assimilation

benevolent assimilation (countable and uncountable, plural benevolent assimilations)

Coined in 1898 by President William McKinley justifying the invasion of the Philippines.

Finally, it should be the earnest wish and paramount aim of the military administration to win the confidence, respect, and affection of the inhabitants of the Philippines by assuring them in every possible way that full measure of individual rights and liberties which is the heritage of free peoples, and by proving to them that the mission of the United States is one of Benevolent Assimilation substituting the mild sway of justice and right for arbitrary rule.

(US, Philippines, historical) The assimilation of a group of foreigners by absorbing them into a new culture, with the primary stated reason being that it is an act of benevolence.


cling film

cling film (countable and uncountable, plural cling films)

cling films (plural)
clingfilm (alternative)

polyvinylidene chloride
polyvinylidene chloride

(British, rarely Philippines) A plastic film (originally polyvinylidene chloride but now polyethylene) that is so light and thin that it clings to any object about which it is wrapped; used to cover and preserve foodstuffs etc.


flyover

flyovers (plural)
fly-over (alternative)

They form part of the vast electrification and reconstruction schemes which have been in hand for a number of years at Liverpool Street, and in suburban Essex, and include the rearrangement of tracks, of which the Ilford flyover forms part; the modern signal boxes, now needed only at key points; the electric control or sub-stations; and a large electric car shed.

1951 January, R. A. H. Weight, “A Railway Recorder in Essex and Hertfordshire”, in Railway Magazine, page 44:

As our train to Paris dashed through the labyrynthine flyovers at Porchefontaine, barely a mile from Versailles, the 75 m.p.h. limit was already almost attained.

1961 November, H. G. Ellison, P. G. Barlow, “Journey through France: Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, page 670:

The sales of toy motor-cars were enormous, and not only are there cars, there are all the accessories to go with them. In 1960 there were road sections with flyovers and banked corners on which sports and saloons could whizz along at a speed of 250 m.p.h, which apparently was a real speed of from six to seven miles per hour.

1971, Gwen White, Antique Toys And Their Background, page 89:

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, Philippines) A road or railway that passes over another, allowing routes to cross without interruption.


fucken

(Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, US, slang, informal, vulgar) Alternative spelling of fucking.


first floor

(Canada, US, Philippines) The floor of a building at the level of the street or surrounding ground; the ground floor


buchi

From Tagalog butsi / butse, possibly from Hokkien 麻糍 (môa-chî) or a similar cognate, or Spanish buche (“gulp a mouthful”). Compare Cebuano butsi (“Jian dui”), Tagalog matse (“Mache”), Cebuano masi (“Masi”), Kapampangan motsi (“Moche”).

Filipino buchi are nearly identical to the popular Chinese dim sum staple of crispy and sweet sesame balls, also known as ma tuan or jin deui.

2013, Marvin Gapultos, The Adobo Road Cookbook: A Filipino Food Journey:


rotonda

Borrowed from Tagalog rotonda (“roundabout; traffic circle”).

bor+

Welcome Rotonda is a roundabout located in Quezon City.


differently able

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-differently able.wav

Illogical pedestrian crossings, inaccessible pavements and inconvenient public transport make it rather hostile for its differently abled citizens.

2022 May 24, “Is Chennai convenient for its Differently-abled citizens?”, in The Hindu:

"We are Not Disabled; We are Differently-Abled"

2021, Various, “'We are Not Disabled; We are Differently-Abled': A Study on The Lived Experiences of Person with Disability in the Workplace”, in Dangal Research Journal, volume 3, number 1:

(euphemistic, often humorous or pejoratively so except India and Philippines) Disabled or handicapped.


RPN

Radio Philippines Network
w:Radio Philippines Network

(Philippines, broadcasting) Initialism of Radio Philippines Network.


chancing

(Philippines) sexual advance with suggestive body contact


aspin

Borrowed from Tagalog aspin, a blend of aso + Pinoy, suggested by the Philippine Animal Welfare Society as an alternative to askal.

(Philippines) A variety of mongrel dog breed in the Philippines.


mami

(chiefly Latin America, Philippines) mommy, mother


mami

Borrowed from Tagalog mami, from Hokkien. Doublet of bakmi.

One brought two boxes of instant mami noodles.

2003, Ma. Romina M. Gonzalez, Welostit and Other Stories, page 51:

When her awaited bus arrives, she passes up instant mami noodles for a chance to dip her hand in a box of old shoes.

2008, Priscelina Patajo-Legasto, Philippine Studies: Have We Gone Beyond St. Louis?, page 369:

A new era came in the 90's when the Generation Y (Gen Y), born in the mid-70's to mid-80's, started trickling into the urban development craze with the booming of malls and instant products from instant mami to instant coffee to instant beauty.

2013, Ed S. Teovisio, The 8 Streams of Confluent Learning to Personal Effectiveness, page 22:

(Philippines) A soup dish of wheat noodles or cellophane noodles mixed with meat of either pork, chicken, pork liver, beef brisket, and/or fresh or dried seafood such as shrimp or squid, and/or wonton dumplings, and vegetables, such as cabbage, carrots, spring onion, etc.


tenured

(Philippines) Experienced at a workplace


ped xing

pedestrian crossing
pedestrian crossing#English

(US, Philippines) Abbreviation of pedestrian crossing.


grading

Today is my first grading exam.

(Philippines, education) Ellipsis of grading period.


GMA

(Philippines, broadcasting) Initialism of Global Media Arts, a broadcasting company in the Philippines.


minivan

→ Japanese: ミニバン (miniban)

→ Korean: 미니밴 (minibaen)

→ Russian: минивэ́н (minivɛ́n)

→ Thai: มินิแวน (mí-ní-wɛɛn)

A small van, especially (Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines) one primarily used for family transport.


junior high school

en-noun

junior high school (countable and uncountable, plural junior high schools)

junior high schools (plural)
JHS (alternative)

intermediate high school

school between elementary and high school

(Philippines) A secondary education school for grades 7-10 (a continuation of elementary school). It is succeeded by senior high school.


iced tea

iced tea (countable and uncountable, plural iced teas)

iced teas (plural)
ice tea (alternative)

→ Japanese: アイスティー (aisutī)

→ Korean: 아이스티 (aiseuti)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-iced tea.wav

(Canada, Philippines) Sweetened iced tea, flavoured with lemon.


TRB

Toll Regulatory Board
w:Toll Regulatory Board

(Philippines) Initialism of Toll Regulatory Board.


your Honor

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-your Honor.wav

(chiefly Philippines, formal) you (a form of address for a representative or senator in the Philippine Congress during hearings and inquiries, and for canvassers during the canvass of electoral results).


FAB

Freeport Area of Bataan
w:Freeport Area of Bataan

(Philippines) Initialism of Freeport Area of Bataan.


ASC

Apayao State College
w:Apayao State College

(Philippines) Initialism of Apayao State College.


sharon

en-verb

sharon (third-person singular simple present sharons, present participle sharoning, simple past and past participle sharoned)

sharons (present singular third-person)
sharoning (participle present)
sharoned (participle past)
sharoned (past)

(Philippines, slang) Wrapping leftover foods to take home from any kind of social function such as a birthday or wedding.


turon

Borrowed from Tagalog turon, from Spanish turrón.

(Philippines) A Philippine snack made of a fried and caramelized spring roll wrapping thinly sliced bananas.


SMC

San Miguel Corporation
w:San Miguel Corporation

(Philippines) Initialism of San Miguel Corporation.


ECC

(construction) Initialism of Environmental Compliance Certificate.


trash can

trash cans (plural)
trashcan (alternative)

(US, Philippines) A receptacle which serves as a place to discard waste materials.


MOA

(Philippines) Initialism of SM Mall of Asia.


PWA

(Philippines) Initialism of Philippine Web Awards.


Great Wall

the Great Wall (canonical)
Great Walls (plural)

Great Wall (disambiguation)#Astronomy
Great Wall of China

(Philippines, colloquial) The high barrier of entry to enter in a romantic relationship with a Filipino-Chinese person.


commuting

en-noun

commuting (usually uncountable, plural commutings)

(Philippines) travel by public transportation such as by jeepney


sayang

term-label

(Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, colloquial)

Indonesian
Philippine English
Singaporean English

* (Singaporean and Malaysian English): Borrowed from Malay sayang.
* (Philippine English): Borrowed from Tagalog sayang.

to regret, to miss (regret the absence of)


HRM

(Philippines, business, management) Initialism of hotel and restaurant management.


MU

(international standards) ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code for Mauritius.


MU

Initialism of North Maluku: a province of Indonesia.

University of Missouri
w:University of Missouri


SG

en-noun

SG (countable and uncountable, plural SGs)

(Philippines, colloquial) Initialism of security guard.


UA

(Philippines) Initialism of University of Abra.


callboy

callboys (plural)
call boy (alternative)
call-boy (alternative)

→ Cebuano: callboy

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-callboy.wav

(Philippines, slang) A public transport barker (a man who, for a fee, calls out the destination of jeepneys and buses)


DICT

w:Department of Information and Communications Technology

(Philippines) Initialism of Department of Information and Communications Technology.

DAR

executive departments of the Philippines


SSH

South Superhighway
w:South Luzon Expressway

(Philippines, historical) Abbreviation of South Superhighway (former name of SLEX).


TF

TF (countable and uncountable, plural TFs)

(uncountable, Philippines) Initialism of talent fee.


cable car

cable cars (plural)
cablecar (alternative)
cable-car (alternative)

/ˈkæɪ.bəl ˌkɐːɹ/

(US, Philippines) A streetcar moved by gripping to rotating loop of cable running along the track.


TIN

The AOTC and/or LLC cannot be claimed if the TIN is issued after the due date of the return (including extensions).

2025 May 10, “The One, Big, Beautiful Bill”, in United States House Committee on Ways & Means, page 43:

taxpayer identification number
w:taxpayer identification number

(US, Philippines, finance) Initialism of taxpayer identification number.


elem

elementary school
elementary school#English

(Philippines, colloquial) Clipping of elementary (elementary school).


EK

(Philippines, colloquial) Initialism of Enchanted Kingdom: an amusement park in Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines.


kano

Borrowed from Tagalog Kano, initial clipping of Amerikano, ultimately from Spanish americano (“male American”).

(Philippines, slang, by extension) A Western foreigner