Etymology

ke belakang pusing

Today it means: To make an about-turn; more precisely, to turn 180 degrees clockwise, then stomp one’s left foot. Full definition →

Malay ke belakang pusing
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The story

  1. Malay · borrowed fromke belakang pusing
  2. English todayke belakang pusing

Unadapted borrowing from Malay ke belakang pusing, a military drill command used in the Singapore Armed Forces, meaning to “turn and face the rear”, i.e., to turn 180 degrees and face the other way.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.