The telegram is charged based on words....

[shiokalingam]

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

the telegraph operator in east jiu hu considered "steamboat" as two words. steam boat.

makes sense. It isn't like transferring an sms/e-mail today where it's one side transferring a msg to the other party where you can write jibberish or anything.

It's someone else reading or maybe he has to write it down before letting the operator write out his msg and since the operator isn't a sinkie wouldn't know the meaning of "steamboat".

 

[Sinkie]

Riddle:

What do you call a boat that uses steam?

Correct Answer: BATTLESHIP

Wrong answer: steamboat

 

[shiokalingam]

Riddle:

What do you call a boat that uses steam?

Correct Answer: BATTLESHIP

Wrong answer: steamboat

could it be , Battleship = Huat Ahh !!!

 

[halsey02]

Riddle:

What do you call a boat that uses steam?

Correct Answer: BATTLESHIP

Wrong answer: steamboat

Only rich people, back then can AFFORD to travel & uses telegram, to inform family at home, to prepare STEAMBOAT & not many living in the swamps or fishing villages have steamboat....if they can steam a fish or even a chicken...that is quite a luxury...

Please stay tune with tales from the crypt & tales from the exceptional FamiLEE & his LEElatives....all their superior intelligence & good deeds...more to come...STAY TUNE!

 

[Sinkie]

In those days back in 1950s, where got steamboat? Don't think anyone refers to steamboat as a dish, but more as a boat driven by steam.

It is hot pot and uses charcoal and it is not like you gather around a hot pot and put stuff into it while the pot boils.
It is prepared in advance.

Steamboat becomes a prevalent word for the hot pot dish when portable gas canisters become available and many
restaurants started opening in Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines....and steamboat becomes popular in Singapore.

That was more like in the 1970s.

 

[halsey02]

In those days back in 1950s, where got steamboat? Don't think anyone refers to steamboat as a dish, but more as a boat driven by steam.

It is hot pot and uses charcoal and it is not like you gather around a hot pot and put stuff into it while the pot boils.
It is prepared in advance.

Steamboat becomes a prevalent word for the hot pot dish when portable gas canisters become available and many
restaurants started opening in Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines....and steamboat becomes popular in Singapore.

That was more like in the 1970s.

You getting the picture...only the " woo lui lang" can afford STEAMBOAT, prepare by the Black pants white blouses , Ah Man Chia's...the lesser mortals, can afford a steam fish from the pasar, is damn good already..never mind, steamboat of prawns, meats, vegetables, crabs. etc..

Go back to the 50's, 60's, or even 70's..you say you eat steam boat at home?...they will answer..." lu woo lui lang"....

 

[Sinkie]

You getting the picture...only the " woo lui lang" can afford STEAMBOAT, prepare by the Black pants white blouses , Ah Man Chia's...the lesser mortals, can afford a steam fish from the pasar, is damn good already..never mind, steamboat of prawns, meats, vegetables, crabs. etc..

Go back to the 50's, 60's, or even 70's..you say you eat steam boat at home?...they will answer..." lu woo lui lang"....

Dude, you're missing the point I'm saying here.

The key point is that 'steamboat' was not used linguistically and lexiconically for a dish called hot pot back in the 1950s. Back in the 1950s, when someone uses steamboat, he means 'boat using steam to propel' and never to mean for hot pot.

Only some time in the 1970s or later, that steamboat adopts the meaning of a hot pot dish. Hence, there is no way LHL's explanation makes any lexicon sense at all.

So, the following explanation by LHL is actually un-researched bullshit.......

steamboat = battleship = hot pot........this is bullshit, for there is no such a word 'steamboat' to mean 'hot pot' in the 1950s.

 

[Semaj2357]

steamboat = battleship = hot pot........this is bullshit, for there is no such a word 'steamboat' to mean 'hot pot' in the 1950s.

yah, that time commonly known as chuan-loh, famous in beach road - closeby to swee kee chicken rice in middle road / victoria street junction where queen of the mooncakes (empress hotel) was located.

 

[wendychan]

In the old days, the price is the same for the first 10 words.

If the word is 10 letters or less, it is considered one word. More than that, it is counted as 2 words, something like that.

Besides, battleship and steamboat is the same - ONE WORD

So, where is the saving?

PS: Back in the 1950s, there is, to my knowledge, only Hainanese-styled steamboat, brought here by the immigrants.

was wondertng the same and why the need to tell the story

 

[Sinkie]

was wondertng the same and why the need to tell the story

trying very hard to act cute but end up like the mee siam mai hum blooper and now this blooper again....

First, telegram is charged by words and not by letters and there is a base charge for 10 words and below, regardless if the telegram has one word or five or ten.

Second, steamboat was never used to refer to hot pot or any dish in the 1950s. This only come about in the 1970s or later.