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Meaning of ho kua bo ho jiak | Babel Free

Phrase CEFR C2

/[ˌhoː˨˦ ˈkʰwɑː˦˨ boː˨˩ ˌhoː˨˦ ˈt͡s˭jɑʔ˦˧]/

Definitions

Superficial; incompetent or having no substance despite appearances, skin-deep; portraying oneself as greater than one actually is; all style and no substance.
Singlish, idiomatic
Unpalatable despite having great presentation.
Singlish, literally

Examples

“Sure, they turn heads. But what is it like riding one of these scooters with a sidecar? When I first saw one of Mr Johnny Chen’s creations online, I thought “ho kua bo ho jiak” (Hokkien slang which means all style and no substance) […]”

CEFR level

C2

Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.

See also

ho there hodo- hoes before bros hold come what may hold my beer hold one's fire