American woman living in Singapore says she got ‘offended’ by the ‘rude’ phrase ‘Wait awhile’

July 26, 2022

An American woman took to TikTok to share how she first got “offended” by the “rude” phrase “Wait awhile” after moving to Singapore.

TikTok user Alison Emerick posted a video on July 17 detailing how the phrase made her “really confused” when she first heard it in Singapore. In her 20-second video, Emerick says that while she was at her doctor’s office, the receptionist told her, “Wait awhile.”

At first, Emerick found the phrase “rude,” but she later explains in her video that in Singapore, “‘Wait awhile’ means ‘Wait a minute’ or ‘Wait a few seconds.’ So don’t worry, they’re not being rude.”

Her TikTok video, which has been viewed over 317,000 times, has baffled some users in its comment section, with one user saying, “Wait a minute doesn’t mean a minute either. It’s always more.”

“This is true and a fair point! But it does sound shorter to me,” Emerick wrote in her reply.

“Adjust to local lingo,” another TikTok user wrote. “We adjust to that when we’re living overseas.”

The July 17 post was not the first time Emerick sparked an online discussion about Singapore. In a July 15 post, the American expatriate listed “10 reasons why Singapore is the worst place to live,” which include “hot and humid,” “expensive,” “people don’t think outside the box” and “snakes.”

The TikTok video, which has amassed over 2.1 million views, received several comments pointing out that Emerick should just leave Singapore.

“Yes, I agree with you. But then you are not under any obligations to stay. Pack and Leave,” one user wrote.

“You have 10 reasons to leave,” another user said.

However, some users defended her, with one saying, “Why is everyone so pressed… she literally did a video right before this with 10 reasons why SG is the best place to live in.”

Featured Image via @alisoninasia

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