likee
verbEtymology Attributed to various forms of pidgin English, most prominently from Chinese Pidgin English.
1
Nonstandard To like (to have affection for).
- [C]onsider the disaster which overtook the young American who found himself seated next to the eminent Chinese, Wellington Koo, at a diplomatic banquet. Completely at a loss as to what to say to a Chinese, this young man, with a touch of genius such as may be detected only in real faux pas-masters, said: "Likee soupee?" Mr. Koo smiled and nodded. Several moments later, when called upon to say a few words, he delivered a brilliant little talk in flawless English, sat down while the applause was still resounding, turned to the young man and said: "Likee speechee?"1963, Meredith Scott, editor, The Fireside Treasury of Modern Humor, page 374:
- Related terms
- likey, lookee-likee