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If you’re a parent who volunteers hours of your free time at a school just so your offspring has a better chance of enrolling there one day, then you’re most definitely kiasu.

Taken from the Chinese dialect Hokkien, kiasu translates to a fear of losing out, but encompasses any sort of competitive, stingy or selfish behavior commonly witnessed in this highflying city-state.

One of the country’s most famous comic strips was centered on a bespectacled character named Mr. Kiasu.

If you stand in line for hours just because there’s a gift at the end, then you’re kiasu.

If you claim a spot at a table at a busy food court with a packet of tissues while you wander off in search of grub, you’re kiasu.