hanggang piyer

Tagalog

Alternative forms

• hanggang pier

Etymology

Literally, “up to the pier; by the pier”. The phrase became widespread after the liberation of Manila from the Japanese in the Second World War. This refers to women who are with American soldiers thinking the soldiers would bring them along to the United States, but in truth, upon arriving the pier, only the Americans boarded the ships and left the women behind. See also English jeep girl.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /haŋˌɡaŋ piˈeɾ/ [hɐŋˌɡam ˈpjɛɾ]
• Rhymes: -eɾ
• Syllabification: hang‧gang pi‧yer

Adjective

hanggáng piyér (Baybayin spelling ᜑᜅ᜔ᜄᜅ᜔ ᜉᜒᜌᜒᜇ᜔)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see hanggang,‎ piyer.
2. (idiomatic, dated) abandoned; left behind after an unkept promise
   • 1946, Manuel Silos, director, Victory Joe, spoken by Rosie (Norma Blancaflor):

     Ikaw ang siyang ulol. Alam mo namang maraming mga babaeng hanggang piyer lamang ay subok ka pa nang subok. Hindi mo ba pinapahalagahan ang iyong sarili?

     You're the one who's the fool. You know that many women are just left behind with broken promises but you still try and try. Don't you value yourself?

See also

• pinaasa

Further reading

• Zorc, R. David, San Miguel, Rachel (1993) Tagalog Slang Dictionary, Manila: De La Salle University Press, →ISBN, page 56