Why you gotta be so rude? American shares how she is 'offended' by this Singlish phrase

Does hearing this Singlish phrase rile you up? For this American expatriate, 'wait awhile' is offensive.

Taking to TikTok on July 17, Alison Emerick shared how she was "really confused" by this phrase when she first moved to Singapore.

"I went to check in at the doctor's office and the receptionist said, 'Wait awhile'," Emerick said, adding that she found it "rude".

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@alisoninasia/video/7121230376156056834?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7117449864527300098[/embed]

In the 20-second clip, she offered an explanation on what 'wait awhile' means — for the benefit of those who might also find it annoying.

Emerick said: "Here [in Singapore], 'wait awhile' means 'wait a minute' or 'wait a few seconds'. So don't worry, they're not being rude."

With this video garnering over 280,000 views, several netizens were baffled on how this phrase had initially offended Emerick.

"Wait, how is 'wait awhile' rude," TikTok user Tatabusa asked, to which Emerick replied that it sounded like she would be 'waiting a long time'.

Another TikTok user pointed out that "wait a minute" does not mean "a minute" either.

Several others also shared other Singlish phrases that can be considered "rude".

In another TikTok video highlighting her gripes about Singapore, Emerick shared on July 16 why this little red dot is the "worst place to live in".

Her 10 reasons included how she is "always sweaty" here, the high cost of living and... snakes.

With the video garnering over two million views, several netizens suggested that Emerick should "pack up and leave" while others pointed out that Emerick had filmed a video on why Singapore is the "best place to live in".

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chingshijie@asiaone.com