tidapathy

The curse of a warm, damp, equatorial climate is “tidapathy” from the Malay “Tid’ apa” — “It does not matter”. In an enervating climate, even the smallest effort requires some exercise of will-power. The temptation is to let things slide, and once that temptation begins to take hold, a general deterioration sets in and with it a weakening of moral fibre. Raffles, consciously or unconsciously, was completely free from any subjection to the climate.

1951, C.E. Wurzburg, Raffles of the Eastern Isles

Short for tidak apa, its corrupted bazaar form tidapa has given rise to the “English” word tidapathy, a word very expressive of the attitude of couldn’t-care-less-ness that grips all of us from time to time!

1960, Edward S. King, Speak Malay!, page 82

Replying in the affirmative would not commit you to anything but it would enable us to know what we can offer in the form of voluntary service. The worst you can do is to ignore the circular. Tidapathy has no place in our present society.

1969 June 29, Editorial, “The Doctor in a National Emergency”, in Singapore Medical Association Newsletter, volume 3, number 1