taxi uncle

English

Etymology

From taxi +‎ uncle; a respectful form of address to an older man.

Pronunciation

• (Singapore) IPA^(key): /ˈtɛk.si ˌʌŋ.kə/

Noun

taxi uncle (plural taxi uncles)

1. (Singapore) A male taxi driver in Singapore.
   • 2000, May 15, soc.culture.singapore, Taxi driver, in Google Groups

     pretty interesting to yak with these taxi uncles...sometimes they can also give you tips on where and when the traffic police ambush with their speed detectors

   • 2003, May 13, soc.culture.singapore, Do you want to drive a Taxi ?, in Google Groups

     I think you better get feedback from the taxi uncles....they complain the company sometime delay payment, refuse those with illegible/corrected amount even though coutersigned....etc

   • 2008, Politikus, Taxi fare hike, drastic drop in demand., in Google Groups

     I talked with a taxi uncle who has been driving a cab since 1982.

   • 2009 May 12, Preeta Samarasan, Evening Is The Whole Day‎, page 131:

     “Taxi Uncle,” said Valli, coming to her senses, “can't you take another route?”

   • 2009 July 21, Ru Freeman, in A Disobedient Girl: A Novel, page 254

     “Then I will call the taxi uncle to take us back to the hospital,” she says and starts to walk down the road. I grab her hand and bring her back to face me. “Shh! Don't make a noise,” I whisper to her. “I don't have money for the taxi uncle. I have to ...

   • 2011, Andy Leong, “Latest Trip's programe & Map to the Restaurant.”, in Google Groups:

     Would a taxi uncle know the exact location if I tell him Sungei Buluh R&R?

   • 2014 September 5, Rowena Michaels, “Why getting to know a Singapore 'taxi uncle' is an expat essential”, in The Telegraph (United Kingdom):

     A taxi uncle will, more often than not, have a strong opinion as to where the best laksa/chicken rice/kway teow is to be had.

   • 2015 June 16, Ludger Hovestadt, Vera Bühlmann, A Quantum City: Mastering the Generic, page 183:

     In Singapore, taxi drivers are more familiarly known as “Taxi Uncles”…The Taxi Uncle is notorious for cutting lanes without signalling, violent braking at the road shoulder to pick up / drop off passengers, reckless driving, changing shifts, …

   • 2016 March 11, Kenneth Lim, "Freedom, flexible hours drive younger Singaporeans to taxi industry", in Today Online (Singapore)

     He is experienced and knows the best spots to pick up passengers, as well as the unspoken rules for managing difficult customers, but Mr Dai is not what you’d call a “taxi uncle”.

   • 2016 May 13, Joanne Poh, “3 popular jobs for Singaporeans who want to be their own boss”, in AsiaOne (Singapore):

     In recent years, a new breed of taxi drivers has emerged-these folks are much younger than the stereotypical "taxi uncle"

   • 2016 September 15, Kelly Jackson-Nash, CultureShock! Singapore‎:

     You chance upon a rather talkative taxi uncle who is very interested in your lifestyle… Understand that the taxi uncle is just showing an interest…

   • 2017 August 17, Adrian Lim, “The Live They Live: From taxi uncle to Grab drive”, in The Straits Times (Singapore):

     With more than three decades of driving under his belt, this "taxi uncle" has seen the changes in one of Singapore's most iconic professions, which began in the 1930s, and is facing its greatest disruption now with competition from ride-hailing apps.