No way to do things; not satisfactory

m̄-sī pān-hoat

Pō•pō• chē kè-thêng-chhia, m̄-sī pān-hoat.

Always taking taxis is no way to do things.

Water (for drinking), (boiled) tap water

Pe̍h kún-chúi

I kan-taⁿ chhiáⁿ góa chia̍h pe̍h kún-chúi niā-niā.

He only gave me water to drink (when I went to his house).

Tapwater

Pe̍h8-kún-chúi

———————-

I kan-taⁿ chhiáⁿ góa chia̍h pe̍h8-kún-chúi.

I was his guest, and he only gave me tap water!

One’s old tricks

Lāu pō·-sò·

A note about yesterday’s cartoon

In the second frame, the father says:

Chiūⁿ-kiā ū-kàu thiám-thâu… (Going uphill is really tiring)

This sounds a little strange to me (and most people I’ve asked).  It’s much more common to hear peh for “go up” instead of chiūⁿ, as in peh soaⁿ (go up/climb the mountain) or peh kiā /peh khiā (go uphill).

Chiūⁿ, on the other hand, turns up more in expressions like “get on the bus/get in the car” (chiūⁿ chhia) or “get up on stage” (chiūⁿ-tâi).

Paternity leave

Pôe-sán-ká

Take paternity leave: Chhéng pôe-sán-ká

Young people wear their jeans tight

 

Siàu-liân-lâng chhēng gû-á-khò·, lóng chhēng kah chin piⁿ.

Fart

Pàng-phùi

M̄ tú-hó hō· lí hoat-hiān i put-kò kap lí — góa — kāng-khóan, lóng ē pàng-phùi.

It’s just so that you can’t realize that he farts just like you and me.

Betray (the memory of) one’s ancestors

Pōe-chó· 

Kái-piàn chò Tâi-ôan kok-jîn sī pōe-chó·, kái-piàn chò Bí-kok-lâng sī siáⁿ?

If becoming a citizen of Taiwan is betraying one’s ancestors, what exactly is becoming an American citizen?

Be completely uneducated

Pak-tó∙-lāi bô pòaⁿ tih ba̍k-chúi.

[Literally: "Have not a drop of ink in one's belly"]