leh chey

English

Alternative forms

• leceh

Etymology

Borrowed from Malay leceh.

Pronunciation

• (Singapore) IPA^(key): [ˈleː˧.t͡ʃeː˦]

Adjective

leh chey (comparative more leh chey, superlative most leh chey)

1. (colloquial, Singapore) Troublesome
   • 1978 October 4, Mohamed Shariff, The Straits Times, page 7:

     Some of the hawkers are not very cooperative. When it comes to paying the salary, they find it ‘leceh’ (troublesome).

   • 1987 February 28, Tan Sai Siong, The Straits Times, page 21:

     [A friend] was puzzled as to why the [Central Provident Fund] Board with its marvellous computerised accounting facilities couldn’t design a less lecheh (convoluted, troublesome) way of dealing with savers who already have enough to take care of rainy flat-on-their-back days.