A Singaporean Singlish term for a foolish, stupid, or annoying person. It is an uncommon and typically emphatic insult, stronger than casual putdowns. The exact etymology is disputed, possibly involving a Hokkien or Tamil component blended with English elements, reflecting Singlish's characteristically multi-lingual word formation.
He called himself a cockanathan for forgetting the passports on the day of the flight.
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(Singapore, Singlish, uncommon) , foolish person.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.