Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

must have killed a chinaman

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.46 in modern English

Syllables: must have killed a chi-na-man
IPA

43

Scrabble Score

23

Letters

3

Syllables

14

Unique Chars

Meaning

phrase

A jocular explanation for bad luck.

Australian usage; Dated; Offensive

Example Sentences

"It appeared as though someone in the Battalion must have killed a Chinaman, as the weather continued rough and stormy, with strong wind."

Etymology

Referring to a putative, and otherwise unrecorded, Anglo-Australian superstition that killing a Chinese person brought about bad luck.

Usage

Questions

What does must have killed a chinaman mean?: A jocular explanation for bad luck.
Where does must have killed a chinaman come from?: Referring to a putative, and otherwise unrecorded, Anglo-Australian superstition that killing a Chinese person brought about bad luck.

How to pronounce must have killed a chinaman

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