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The Complete Eh, Goondu?: Humour writing from the Singlish Guru

ISBN 9789815218626

Sylvia Toh Paik Choo

The country’s first book on Singlish

Singlish

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Goondu: Meaning big stupid, retardat, lummoxor dullard but with endearing overtones.

The Complete Eh, Goondu! brings together two of Singapore’s best-selling humour titles Eh, Goondu! and Lagi Goondu.

Eh, Goondu! published in 1982 was the original book on Singlish. A compilation of local patois (English and vernacular dialects and languages), it was the first to put in print Singlish words that previously were only spoken.

Eh, Goondu! sparked national debate among Ministers, academics and the public. Eventually, it was accepted
that Singlish was part of the Singaporean way of life.

Now you can own a piece of Singapore’s social history
with your personal copy of The Complete Eh, Goondu!

Reissued in 2024 with new cover and foreword to mark the author’s induction into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame for being the first to document Singlish.

Sylvia Toh Paik Choo is one of the most well-known and beloved names in Singapore writing, possibly because she has been at it for more than 40 years — they can’t get rid of her. She has authored, reported and written on almost every subject that Singaporeans and Malaysians can relate to and identify with. That is her unique voice. A journalist since 1970, hers is institutionalised memory, even though she sometimes can’t remember where she lives — which is not in the Bahamas.

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