chap lau chu
- noun
- Offensive
:
tío despreocupado y poco refinado (informal, ofensivo, Reino Unido)
- His mother scolded him, calling him a chap lau chu for wearing pajamas to the store.
Examples
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Everyone loves inviting a chap lau chu to parties because they're always so relaxed.
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I can't believe you invited that chap lau chu again.
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She took pride in her chap lau chu approach to life, ignoring the latest fashion trends.
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He is such a chap lau chu at parties!
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Everyone enjoys having a chap lau chu at gatherings because they bring a light-hearted spirit.
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His friends often describe him as a chap lau chu for his casual attitude towards dressing up.
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She enjoys her carefree lifestyle, often being labeled a chap lau chu by those who value fashion.
Synonyms
1
8.2
A cheerful, friendly man who often smiles
A man who is playful and a little rude in a friendly way people like
Surface Forms
Morphology
chap + lau + chu
Two of the three constituents ('lau' and 'chu') have no lexical entries, so a B1 learner who only knows 'chap' (fellow) cannot compositionally derive the idiomatic sense. The expression appears to be a culture-specific colloquialism/loanphrase whose overall meaning ('carefree, slightly tacky person') is not predictable from the parts, making it opaque.
Etymology
The noun chap lau chu comes from Cantonese street talk and gives a picture of someone with loose, messy clothes and a very relaxed walk. That's why people use it for someone 'carefree and fun-loving' or, more harshly, 'lacking style'.