ho kua bo ho jiak en · X
Pronunciation
- [ˌhoː˨˦ ˈkʰwɑː˦˨ boː˨˩ ˌhoː˨˦ ˈt͡s˭jɑʔ˦˧] (Singapore)
Etymology
From Hokkien 好看無好食 /好看无好食 (hó-khòaⁿ bô hó-chia̍h, literally “good to look at, not good to eat”).
Meanings
-
(Singlish, idiomatic) Superficial; incompetent or having no substance despite appearances, skin-deep; portraying oneself as greater than one actually is; all style and no substance.
Sure, they turn heads. But what is it like riding one of these scooters with a sidecar? When I first saw one of Mr Johnny Chen’s creations online, I thought “ho kua bo ho jiak” (Hokkien slang which means all style and no substance) […]
2014 May 17, Kevin Chin, The Straits Times, Singapore, Life! Motoring, page 2:
- (Singlish, literally, of food) Unpalatable despite having great presentation.