What did I just read? I don't even know what the gum is referring to. This article assumes that I know something about Singapore. I don't. I have no idea what I'm reading.
Someone should make a tool where you could type in keywords like "gum Singapore" and it would return a list of websites where you could find out more about it.
It's a play on words. "By gum" is a popular phrase in the north of England, Lancashire I think. It's perhaps old fashioned, both my granddads were from Preston and used it a lot but rarely hear it nowadays among young folk from Lancashire. From the way it's used, it's the same as "bloody hell" or "fucking hell" though deemed far less harsh.
That's because it was written by a Singaporean for Singaporeans in Singapore, and they all know well that she is referring to the national ban on selling chewing gum. It was said to be a way to keep the newly built subway system clean, but it has become the go-to symbol of the extent of the nanny state in Singapore when a foreign journalist writes about such things.
