‘Banish cultural bias: A woman’s dressing should not be seen as an invitation to harassment’ (Straits Times caption, 15 October 2007).
It may come as a surprise to many Singaporeans that the word dressing, as used above, is typically Singaporean. In Standard English, dressing means, among other things, ‘the act or process of putting on clothes’, ‘a sauce added to a dish/salad’, and ‘material to cover a wound’ (Merriam-Webster).
Often, Singapore English dressing may be replaced with clothes, clothing, dress sense, taste in clothes, etc. Thus, the caption might have read: A woman’s suggestive/revealing/provocative clothes/dress sense should not be seen as….
It may come as a surprise to many Singaporeans that the word dressing, as used above, is typically Singaporean. In Standard English, dressing means, among other things, ‘the act or process of putting on clothes’, ‘a sauce added to a dish/salad’, and ‘material to cover a wound’ (Merriam-Webster).
Often, Singapore English dressing may be replaced with clothes, clothing, dress sense, taste in clothes, etc. Thus, the caption might have read: A woman’s suggestive/revealing/provocative clothes/dress sense should not be seen as….
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