sabon.
/ˈsabəʊ/, U.S. /ˈsɑboʊ/, Singapore and Malaysian English /ˈsɑˌbo/ Singapore English.
The action of intentionally causing inconvenience, trouble, or harm to others, esp. to gain a personal advantage. Also: the playing of tricks or pranks. Frequently (and in earliest use) attributive. Cf. sabo v.Recorded earliest in sabo king n. at Compounds.
ΚΠ
1977 Straits Times (Singapore) 20 Feb. 11/4 You have been had, buddy. Sabo King strikes again!
1983 Singapore Monitor 21 June 20/2 A typical ‘sabo’ game, Mille Bornes..gives you a chance to unleash your hidden hostility against friends.
1988 New Paper (Singapore) 28 July 8/1 Cake in the face, sauce down your shirt... No birthday party is complete without these pranks... ‘Sabo’ is today's in thing.
1992 Straits Times (Singapore) (Nexis) 1 Dec. (Life section) 8 His toilet roll trick was not an illusion at all but a sabo attempt.
2011 P. Gooden Story of Eng. 179 Sabo..can imply anything from serious damage to a practical joke.
Compounds
sabo king n. a person who causes inconvenience, trouble, or harm to others, esp. to gain a personal advantage; (also) a prankster.
ΚΠ
1977Sabo King [see main sense].
1993 Straits Times (Singapore) (Nexis) 10 June 3 The true colours of the men are described, like..who is the Sabo King (someone who upsets everyone's plans).
2012 Singapore Govt. News (Nexis) 30 Apr. The staff who spots the mistakes of colleagues must feel empowered to point them out and not be labeled somehow as a ‘sabo’ king.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
sabov.
/ˈsabəʊ/, U.S. /ˈsæboʊ/, Singapore and Malaysian English /ˈsɑˌbo/ Singapore English.
transitive. To harm, inconvenience, or make trouble for (a person), esp. to gain a personal advantage. Also: to trick, play a prank on.
ΚΠ
1960 Singapore Free Press 27 June 6/3 Certain members of the Faculty of Medicine are still talking angrily about how they were ‘saboed’ (varsity slang for ‘sabotaged’) from enjoying themselves at the Orientation Dance.
1977 Straits Times (Singapore) 20 Feb. 11/4 You..chalk up points in your favour..at the expense of others by the dirty trick of ‘sabo-ing’..them. In other words, back stabbing.
1997 Straits Times (Singapore) (Nexis) 14 Mar. 45 They probably also think it's very funny to sabo their friends.
2004 Edge (Singapore) (Nexis) 6 Sept. An irate store assistant out to ‘sabo’ his supervisor.
2015 S. Schweitzer Access Asia xii. 280 If someone tells you they've been saboed..they've been intentionally harmed or had their failings shown up by a third party.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1977v.1960