lolo buggah

"Lolo buggah" is a widely used, mildly affectionate to moderately critical insult in Hawaii, combining the Hawaiian word "lolo" (meaning crazy, paralyzed, or numb-minded) with the Pidgin staple "buggah" (guy, person, or thing). It is typically used by locals of all ages to describe someone acting foolishly, making a stupid decision, or doing something reckless but ultimately harmless. While it can be used in genuine frustration toward a bad driver or an incompetent coworker, it is just as often used affectionately among friends and family to tease someone who is acting like a goofball. It is generally acceptable in casual conversation, though calling a stranger or an elder a "lolo buggah" to their face would be considered highly disrespectful.

The housekeeping van was barely crawling through the Kapa'a bypass traffic, the late afternoon sun baking the dashboard. In the back row, Luzviminda rubbed her swollen ankles while Leilani leaned her head against the window, eyes half-closed after stripping fifty beds at the resort. The radio was playing softly, but nobody was really listening until a lifted Tacoma suddenly swerved onto the shoulder, kicking up a massive cloud of red dirt just to pass three cars.

"Look at dat lolo buggah," Cora muttered from the driver's seat, shaking her head as the truck nearly clipped a road sign before merging back in. "Going scratch up his rims just for sit at the same red light in front of us."

Luzviminda let out a tired, wheezing laugh that broke the heavy silence in the van. "Probably late for get his poke bowl from Foodland," she joked, passing a crumpled bag of li hing mui drops over the seat. Leilani finally opened her eyes, grabbing a candy and smiling. They were exhausted, covered in bleach smell and sweat, but the sheer stupidity of the driver gave them just enough energy to keep joking all the way back to Lihu'e.