Figure 18.1 Zhou big blessing周大福 zhōu dà fúThis is a jewelry chain from Hong Kong. Its Cantonese origin is reflected in the transliteration, which has the final ‘k’ in Fook. The other two final consonants are ‘p’ and ‘t’.

Figure 18.2 Prosperous pastry兴盛糕点 xīngshèng gāodiǎnHing Shing is how Cantonese pronounces 兴盛. This is in Boston’s Chinatown.

Figure 18.3 Like tea喜茶xǐ cháIn Cantonese, 喜is pronounced like ‘hey’ in English.

Figure 18.4 Please walk into compartment请行入车厢 qǐng xíngrù chēxiāngThe classical 行 and 入 cannot be used this way in Mandarin; they can only be used in compounds such as 行人 ‘pedestrian’ and 入口 ‘entrance’.

Figure 18.5 Downstairs standing楼下座位 lóuxià zuòwèi | downstairs seating楼下企位 lóuxià qǐwèi | downstairs standingThis is on a double-decker bus in Hong Kong. 企 is Cantonese for ‘to stand’. In Mandarin it is used in the word 企鹅 ‘penguin’, which means standing goose!

Figure 18.6 Cooked dish熟餸 shú sòng外卖 wàimài | out sell餸 is a bona fide Cantonese word. This is seen in San Francisco’s Chinatown, where the common language is Cantonese.

Figure 18.7 For food specialist为食家 wèishí jiā | gourmand/glutton为食 is Cantonese for ‘greedy for food’.This restaurant is in Boston’s Chinatown.

Figure 18.8 Drop ship take Hong Kong rail落船搭港铁 luòchuán dā gǎngtiě即悭$1.5 jí qiān $1.5 | instant save $1.5(Take Hong Kong rail after disembarking from ship, save $1.5 right away.)The rare word 悭 ‘to save’ is still used in speech in Cantonese. 落 is Cantonese for 下, 搭 for 乘 ‘ride’.

Figure 18.9 Eaten yet?食左未 shí zuǒ wèi | eat particle not (eaten yet)吃了没 chī le méi | eat particle not (eaten yet)The Cantonese version in big characters is glossed with small characters in Mandarin. 食 and 未 are Cantonese (also classical Chinese) for 吃 and 没respectively. 左 ‘left’ is borrowed to write the sound of the perfective particle ‘tso’ in Cantonese.

Figure 18.10 Bull牛 niú | bull 就係我嘅態度 jiùxì wǒkǎi tàidù | just my attitudeThis was seen in a beef ball soup restaurant. The big character 牛 is a pun, as it can also mean ‘arrogantly awesome’. The line below reinforces the pun. 係 (=是) and 嘅 (=的) are created to write the dialect words.

Figure 18.11 Walk a bit faster行快D 啦 喂 | xíng kuài D la wèi全场七折 | quánchǎng qīzhéD is used in place of the identical sounding 啲, a Cantonese character created by adding 口to show that it is used phonetically. 行 is Cantonese (and classical Chinese) for 走 ‘walk’.

Figure 18.12 Shanghai people上海宁 shànghǎi níng老玩具有伐 lǎo wánjù yǒu fá | old toy have question particleThis ad is from McDonald’s. The use of 宁illustrates the Rebus Principle. 宁 ‘peace’, not at all related in meaning to人 ‘person’, is used for its sound only. The same is true with writing the question particle with 伐, which otherwise means ‘chopping down trees’.

Figure 18.13 I/we Ningbo阿拉宁波 ālā níngbōWith its disyllabic form and no resemblance to pronouns in Mandarin, the first-person pronoun 阿拉 is quite distinctively Wu.

Figure 18.14 Old mother’s brother舅jiù | uncle 老娘舅 lǎo niángjiù米饭要讲究 mǐfàn yào jiǎngjiū | be particular about rice就吃老娘舅 jiù chī lǎo niángjiù | then eat at mother’s brother’s老娘舅 is a regional chain restaurant known for its tasty rice (note the rice bowl icon). The Mandarin counterpart to 娘舅 is 舅舅. Note the repetition of the syllable jiù (究，就，舅), which no doubt is deliberate.

Figure 18.15 Nanxiang dumpling shop南翔馒头店 nánxiáng mántóu diànThis is one of the best-known traditional restaurants in Shanghai. To a northerner, 馒头 is plain steam bread; but in Shanghai, it is filled with meat inside.

Figure 18.16 Old early taste Taiwan beautiful food古早味台湾美食 gǔzǎo wèi táiwān měishí中式料理 zhōngshì liàolǐ | Chinese style cooking古早味 is a Min dialect word. 料理 is however Japanese in origin. This is seen in Vancouver’s Chinatown.

Figure 18.17 Grandma roast corn阿嫲の烧番卖 āmà no shāo fānmài阿嫲 is grandma in the Min dialect. 烧番卖, also written as 烧番麦, is roasted corn on the cob. 番is commonly used for things foreign, such as 番茄 ‘tomato’. Note the use of the Japanese particle の, instead of Chinese 的.

Figure 18.18 Lake view restaurant湖景餐厅 hújǐng cāntīng俗搁大碗 súgē dàwǎn | popular put big bowl冷气开放 lěngqì kāifàng | cold air open release俗搁大碗 is Min for ‘cheap and good’. 冷气 ‘AC’ would be 空调 in mainland China. This is near Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan.

Figure 18.19 House in little family village厝内小眷村 cuònèi xiǎo juàncūnThis is a chain selling Taiwanese style milk tea. 厝 is a Min word and 眷村 are residential compounds built for Nationalist soldiers and their families when they first arrived in Taiwan. With people from all over China, 眷村 life developed its own characteristics including its foods.

Figure 18.20 Each piece 4 yuan每粒4元 měi lì 4 yuán水饺 shuǐjiǎo | water (boiled) dumpling方记 fāng jì | Fang’sThe measure word 粒, usually used for small objects like sesame seeds or medicine pills, is used more generally in Min, including for watermelons!

Figure 18.21 Have matter no matter有事没事 yǒushì méishì (for no reason)整点乐事 zhěngdiǎn lèshì | get some happy matter (Lay’s)整点 is distinctly Northeastern Mandarin. For some reason, this regional variety has been exploited extensively for comic effect.

Figure 18.22 Spicy those year辣些年 làxiē niánThe name of this red chili shop uses a pun based on dialectal difference: 辣là is a mispronunciation of 那 nà and 那些年 means ‘those years’. The inability to distinguish between ‘n’ and ‘l’ is a distinguishing feature of the chili loving speakers of southwest Mandarin.