Sri Lankan English - Updates F

This page contains updates to the dictionary beginning with the letter F. It is divided into 2 parts: New Entries, and Comments and Corrections. Click here to return to the main updates page, or on the links on the left side of the page to go to another letter.

These pages are updated regularly; please contact me if you have any suggestions or feedback which can be included.

Latest update: December 2011. New additions are in red.

NEW ENTRIES:

favouration: favouritism
Wijesundera is insisting there can be no favouration and that tenders should be called for. (Sunday Leader online 03/04/05)
Besides sexual harassment at the workplace, a concern that repeatedly cropped up was the issue of what was termed “sexual favouration”, or women employees gaining privileges on the basis of sexual favours rather than merit or seniority. (article on International Federation of Journalists website 29/05/06)
… the massive favouration given by the British colonial regime to Tamils under the colonial policy of divide and rule … (comment posted on Lanka Academic Forum website 08/06/07)

fine one: (coll.) a strange person
“Fine one you are Ru – to get married without telling us.” (The Mango Tree, by Anthea Senaratna, page 99)

fine thing: (coll.) a strange thing
“Fine thing, no? Not even coming for her only sister’s last maiden birthday!” (The Sweet and Simple Kind, by Yasmine Gooneratne, page 191)
“Fine things to be doing – at his age!” (The Sweet and Simple Kind, by Yasmine Gooneratne, page 485)
“Ha! Fine thing coming from you!” (The Moon in the Water, by Ameena Hussein, page 96)

fish bun (= malu paan)
In the showcase near the entrance were fish buns, egg rottis, dishes of boiled manioc with scraped coconut, laveriya, munguli and other sweetmeats. (The Mirror of Paradise, by Asgar Hussein, page 13)

fit-on room: fitting room in a clothes shop

footboard traveller: a bus or train passenger standing on the footboard
A train went hooting by, footboard travellers clinging onto handrails and digging to toe holds like mountain climbers, all for dear life to get home in one piece. (Rainbows in Braille, by Elmo Jayawardena, page 105)

for an example: for example

foreigner: less common in BSE, where “foreigners” tend to be referred to more specifically as “Americans”, “Asians”, “Eastern Europeans”, etc., or as “tourists”, “immigrants”, “asylum seekers”, etc.
You are married to a foreigner, no?

foreign liquor: imported gin, whisky, vodka, etc.

fruits, foods: used in the plural form more often in SLE than in BSE, where both words are normally uncountable. Also pronunciation: both words tend to be pronounced with a shorter vowel in SLE than in BSE.

fujigraph: (v) (dated) fiddle, fudge, waste time, fool around

full option: (of cars) equipped with the newest technological features such as A/C, power steering, electric windows, etc.



COMMENTS AND CORRECTIONS:

foguetti (not foguete): a sweet pastry made with pumpkin preserve (Portuguese)

forex: This entry should be deleted as it is commonly used in standard English.



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