Dictionary

catch no ball en · X

Pronunciation

• /ˈkɛt͡ʃ no bɔː(l)/ (Singapore)

Etymology

Calque of Hokkien 掠無球 /掠无球 (lia̍h bô kiû, “to not understand”, literally “catch no ball”).

Meanings

1. (Malaysia, Singapore, colloquial) To fail to understand something; be unable to comprehend what others are saying.
   • Ah! I see the problem. Fearless is only semi-literate. In which case, I can understand why he catch no ball. I guess we must ALL show patience to the slow-witted. 1999 April 29, soc.culture.malaysia (Usenet):
   • THE ‘CATCH NO BALL BUT WILL KEEP TRYING’ AWARD INCEPTION Only the incomparable Christopher Nolan, after reviving the superhero genre, could have had the cojones to convince a tightfisted big movie studio to greenlight a movie as ridiculously convoluted and richly layered as this. 2010 December 15, “The 'catch no ball but will keep trying’ award Inception”, in TODAY:
   • "The sense of meaning halal should debated on either symbolic reminder of hygiene also define the level of hygiene to the level of a stomach ache or death that is what make sense!" Huh? What kind of English is this? Catch no ball....LOL. 2005 March 23, soc.culture.malaysia (Usenet):
   • Being someone who doesn't understand Hokkien, I catch no ball as to what you say :-). 1992 March 19, soc.culture.asean (Usenet):
   • "Infini... what? Sorry, I catch no ball. Again, please." "Infinitessimal - small, small winnings, Chin," said Clarence... 2000, Chong Yen Chung, Clarence Plays the Numbers: A Novel, page 83:
   • Catch no ball of what you're talking and saying in your content. Talking and saying, and writing are different ways of expressions. They are not the same. 2013 August 14, soc.culture.china (Usenet):

Forms