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English citations of kiasu
- (Singapore, colloquial, mildly derogatory) Afraid to lose out, particularly because one is overly competitive.
1983 July 14, Leong Chan Teik, “It's good to hear about creativity in education ”, in The Straits Times, Singapore, page 19:"Kiah-su" in our context is used mildly contemptuously to describe a student whose nose is forever buried in his books. As for "too chim" (meaning too profound), it is often used to ward off conversations that are deep and intellectual.
1985 May 4, Caroline Ngui, “Now who's obiang and who's suaku?”, in The Straits Times, Singapore, page 1:Being typical kia-soo Singaporeans, they will not stand by what they say. […] Kia-soo – literally, "afraid to lose"
1985 July 28, Paul Ong, “Campus species of the male”, in The Straits Times, page 1:They zap (photocopy) everything in sight. "Very kia-su," sniffed one student. But it is this zapping habit which personifies the group's most dominant trait: Teamwork and group study.
1987 March 10, “Shopping in Chiangmai: How to get good bargains”, in The Business Times, Singapore, page 35:The Bo Sang-San Kamphaeng area is an adult candy store guaranteed to drive anyone to yield to our silly "kia-su" attitude that we could get it much cheaper here than at home.