Protest vote

Tù-lān-phiò

Cast a protest vote against the government, vote against the incumbant party (though not necessarily because you like the other candidate or party):

Tù-lān hit ê chèng-hú lâi tâu phiò

Fatal flaw

Tì-mīa ê khoat-tiám

Live together (before marriage)

Tàu(-thâu)

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In teh tàu / In nn̄g ê tông-ki/ In nn̄g ê tông-ku.

They’re living together.

One-sided, unilateral

Tan-hong-bīn

Umbilical cord

Tō·-châi-tòa, châi-tòa

Sometimes, however, when used in the metaphoric sense, people will write “tō·-châi“, which literally means “navel”.  For example:

Chhiat-tn̄g Tâi-oân hām Tiong-kok chi-kan ê bûn-hòa tō·-châi

Cut the cultural umbilical cord (navel) between Taiwan and China

On earth as it is in Texas

Tī tōe – – ni̍h8 chhin-chhīuⁿ tī Tek-chiu – – ni̍h8.

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I’m outta here.  I’ll be on vacation for a while, so posting will be sporadic.

Haven’t been able to reach consensus

Iáu bē ta̍t-sêng thóng-it ê ì-kiàn

or:

Kàu taⁿ pēng bô kiōng-sek

First language, second language

Tē-it gí-giân, tē-jī gí-giân

Só∙-kóng ê tē-it gí-giân sī kí lán-lâng chhut-sì liáu tē-it ê o̍h – khí – lâi ê gí-giân.

The so-called first language is the language that we learn first after being born.

(Chiung, Wi-vun Tiaffalo.  Gí-giân, Bûn-ha̍k, kap Tâi-oân Kok-ka Chài-sióng-siōng.  Tainan: National Cheng Gung University Press, 2007. Page 48).

Child of a Taiwanese and a mainlander

Ō·-á-han-chî

[Literally: “a taro root sweet potato“]

Or:

 

Ū Tn̂g-soaⁿ-kong, bô Tn̂g-soaⁿ-má.

[Literally: “to have a father from Tang Mountain, but not have a mother from Tang Mountain“]

That’s not the point.

Che m̄ sī tiōng-tiám.