【Buzzword】2009-12
洗具 (xi3 ju4)
comedy
The word, literally meaning washing wares in Chinese, is a homophone of the word “comedy” in Chinese. It follows another similar usage of “cup ware” which is pronounced the same as “tragedy” in Chinese. Both have gained in overnight popularity among Chinese Internet users as exaggerated and humorous expressions to replace the formal writing form of tragedy and comedy.
失恋假 (shi1 lian4 jia4)
heartache leave
A Shanghai business recently followed the example of a Japanese marketing company in offering its employees paid time off to deal with the heartache suffered from a breakup with a partner. The older the age, the longer the time will be - apparently on the basis that younger people are more resilient in dealing with love setbacks than their older counterparts.
吐血推荐 (tu4 xue3 tui1 jian4)
blood-spitting recommendation
This phrase vividly tells how eagerly and ardently someone is recommending a subject. It describes a person who is recommending it so strongly that the activity of speaking has hurt his/her internal organs and the blood starts to come out as he/she talks about it.
裸官 (luo3 guan1)
nude official
It refers to a government official whose spouse and children all live abroad permanently. To fight official corruption, Shenzhen City of Guangdong Province has decided such a “nude official” cannot be appointed the head of any government or Party organization
手滑 (shou3 hua2)
online typo
Besides a “slip of the tongue,” people often use a “slip of the hand” as an excuse when they drop, upset or smash something. The phrase is now increasingly popular among Chinese online chat talk as it refers to a typo in online chatting.
辛辣面 (xin1 la4 mian4)
hard-won interview
The expression literally means a kind of spicy instant noodle popular in Asia, but refers to the job interviews a candidate has gone to great lengths to get after writing to many companies and repeatedly failing to get one through sending CVs.
陪拼族 (pei2 pin1 zu2)
shopping pals
Where there is a woman shopping, a man is accompanying her ?and he always drops before she does.
电锯 (dian4 ju4)
phone call refusal
Literally meaning an electric saw, the Chinese expression refers to phone calls made by an HR representative to a job applicant, informing of a company's refusal to offer an interview or job vacancy.
怪蜀黍 (guai4 shu3 shu3)
lolita man/pedophile
The expression in Chinese pronounces the same as 怪叔叔，or strange uncle, an online allusion to the pedophilic man in a southern China city who was involved in a sex scandal last year.
comedy
The word, literally meaning washing wares in Chinese, is a homophone of the word “comedy” in Chinese. It follows another similar usage of “cup ware” which is pronounced the same as “tragedy” in Chinese. Both have gained in overnight popularity among Chinese Internet users as exaggerated and humorous expressions to replace the formal writing form of tragedy and comedy.
失恋假 (shi1 lian4 jia4)
heartache leave
A Shanghai business recently followed the example of a Japanese marketing company in offering its employees paid time off to deal with the heartache suffered from a breakup with a partner. The older the age, the longer the time will be - apparently on the basis that younger people are more resilient in dealing with love setbacks than their older counterparts.
吐血推荐 (tu4 xue3 tui1 jian4)
blood-spitting recommendation
This phrase vividly tells how eagerly and ardently someone is recommending a subject. It describes a person who is recommending it so strongly that the activity of speaking has hurt his/her internal organs and the blood starts to come out as he/she talks about it.
裸官 (luo3 guan1)
nude official
It refers to a government official whose spouse and children all live abroad permanently. To fight official corruption, Shenzhen City of Guangdong Province has decided such a “nude official” cannot be appointed the head of any government or Party organization
手滑 (shou3 hua2)
online typo
Besides a “slip of the tongue,” people often use a “slip of the hand” as an excuse when they drop, upset or smash something. The phrase is now increasingly popular among Chinese online chat talk as it refers to a typo in online chatting.
辛辣面 (xin1 la4 mian4)
hard-won interview
The expression literally means a kind of spicy instant noodle popular in Asia, but refers to the job interviews a candidate has gone to great lengths to get after writing to many companies and repeatedly failing to get one through sending CVs.
陪拼族 (pei2 pin1 zu2)
shopping pals
Where there is a woman shopping, a man is accompanying her ?and he always drops before she does.
电锯 (dian4 ju4)
phone call refusal
Literally meaning an electric saw, the Chinese expression refers to phone calls made by an HR representative to a job applicant, informing of a company's refusal to offer an interview or job vacancy.
怪蜀黍 (guai4 shu3 shu3)
lolita man/pedophile
The expression in Chinese pronounces the same as 怪叔叔，or strange uncle, an online allusion to the pedophilic man in a southern China city who was involved in a sex scandal last year.
