Dictionary of Hong Kong English, A

R

143 R R B red capitalist red chip red packet/pocket (money) red pole (fighter) Renminbi reprovisioning rice Christian rickshaw right of abode rubbish 144 R red capitalist idiomatic expression. Definition: a Mainland business person who uses a socialist self-description. Text example: “Indeed, one reason for the sending of so-called ‘red capitalist’ Wang Guangying to Hong Kong was—so Wanghimselfopenlyhinted—becauseofdissatisfactionin theChinesepolitburowithChinaResources.” red chip idiomatic expression. Definition: (stocks of) companies that are based in the Mainland or have significant Mainland business connections. Text example: “Manyred chips areconsideringareturntothedomestic equity markets to raise capital or as a way of supporting Beijing’s policy to enhance the quality of bourses—but only few of them can issue yuan-denominated A shares, giventherelativelyhighrequirements.” red packet/pocket (money) fixed expression. Definition: see lai see. Text example: 1 “Students are given some red packets (only one red packet contains a 10-dollar bank note).” 2 “Anybody is [sic] still single loves the Chinese New Year because they are entitled to receive the red pocket money from the married people.” red capitalist ▸ 145 R red pole (fighter) idiomatic expression. Definition: a senior member of a triad society. Text example: “Once a boxer, he went by the nickname ‘Thai Lung’ and became a ‘red pole’ for the society. A red pole is a senior member who usually plays an enforcing role.” See: triad. Renminbi /renminbi:/ n. Source language: Mandarin (人民幣). Definition: Mainland currency, equivalent to the yuan. Text example: “The official currency of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is Renminbi (meaning in Chinese: ‘people’s currency’).” See: jiao, yuan, fen. reprovisioning n. Definition: to provide a resource again after it has been removed or consumed. Text example: “The Government spokesman said, ‘We would welcome public comments on the in-situ reprovisioning and operation of the STWTW and related facilities through PPP.’” Note: This word and its meaning is not specific to HKE, but in HKE, usage seems to be restricted to the domain of publications or statements from the HK government, where this word occurs more frequently. ▸ reprovisioning 146 R rice Christian idiomatic expression. Definition: a convert to Christianity for material gain (possibly archaic). Text example: “Chinese friends and colleagues asked me about Christianity and were disappointed that they could not attend my church, not realising that it was forbidden. When I declared Good Friday a non-working day, one Chinese colleague wanted to ‘convert’ on the spot—a modern-day example of a ‘rice Christian’!” rickshaw /rikʃɔ:/ n. Source language: Japanese. Definition: a human-powered buggy for city travel, usually providing a taxi service. Text example: “Any owner of a rickshaw who wishes to have the rickshaw licensedshall—(a)delivertotheCommissioner an application therefore in a form specified by the Commissionerwhichshallbeaccompaniedbyhisidentity document.” rickshaw (drawing by Adrian Cennydd Petyt) rice Christian ▸ 147 R right of abode legal term. Definition: legal authorization to reside in Hong Kong. Text example: “A new survey casts serious doubt on the reliability of the Government’s claim that 1.603 million ‘additional’ Mainlanders are eligible for right of abode on the basis of the Court of Final Appeal’s judgments of 29 January 1999.” rubbish v. Definition: to discard worthless material in an inappropriate place, usually on the ground. Text example: “He urged members of the public to sustain their keep clean efforts and to let the message of the campaign slogan ‘There is never any excuse to rubbish your home’ stride across the new Millennium.” ▸ rubbish ...