xiaocai Posted January 10, 2009 at 10:29 AM Report Posted January 10, 2009 at 10:29 AM "and that 家伙 can also mean a weapon...as in 兄弟们，朝家伙！" I think it is supposed to be “抄家伙” here? Quote
roddy Posted January 10, 2009 at 04:37 PM Author Report Posted January 10, 2009 at 04:37 PM Just realized this thread's over a year old. 号外, hàowài, extra, as in extra, extra, readallabouit extra edition of a newspaper. Quote
yersi Posted January 10, 2009 at 05:56 PM Report Posted January 10, 2009 at 05:56 PM 斡旋 wòxuán - mediate From 德国之声, apparently the German foreign minister went to Gaza yesterday to mediate in the conflict. Quote
roddy Posted January 14, 2009 at 02:12 PM Author Report Posted January 14, 2009 at 02:12 PM (edited) 讨伐 - tǎofá -send out a punitive expedition. Can't see me getting a chance to drop that into conversation, but never mind . . . Edit: here's a more useful one 剧透, jùtòu, or 剧情透露 - plot leaks, or more commonly online, spoilers. Edited January 14, 2009 at 05:05 PM by roddy Quote
anonymoose Posted January 14, 2009 at 08:37 PM Report Posted January 14, 2009 at 08:37 PM I haven't paid much attention to this thread since it started, but as I happened to open it just now, I thought I'd contribute with a fun word I learnt today: 倒贴 dàotiē It's difficult to provide a good translation, but hopefully its use will be clear with an example. Meaning: pay instead of getting paid 这个东西倒贴给我，我也不要。 I wouldn't want this thing even if you paid me. Quote
roddy Posted January 15, 2009 at 02:59 AM Author Report Posted January 15, 2009 at 02:59 AM Here's a lovely one: 尸蜡 shīlà - waxy stuff that leaks out of dead bodies. Or something like that. Adipocere in English. Only found that thanks to a typo while using Sogou Pinyin Quote
yersi Posted January 15, 2009 at 03:20 AM Report Posted January 15, 2009 at 03:20 AM Yuck, that one's gross (and added to my anki library ). Here's a slightly more useful one: 水刑 shuǐxíng, waterboarding Usage: 美國政府對俘虜進行水刑 Quote
gougou Posted January 23, 2009 at 01:46 AM Report Posted January 23, 2009 at 01:46 AM 打鸡血 - apparently means to suddenly get excited about something Somebody on 百度知道 gives the following explanation: 在80年代，有一种保健方法，叫做“鸡血疗法”，就是把一年生的大公鸡的血，抽出来给人注射。在老干部人群里曾经风靡一时。注射了鸡血的人，面色发红，据说精神亢奋，也不知到底效果如何。主要是讽刺别人突然情绪亢奋. Quote
randall_flagg Posted January 23, 2009 at 08:44 AM Report Posted January 23, 2009 at 08:44 AM 水刑 shuǐxíng, waterboarding Interestingly, this makes it look as if waterboarding is a punishment, not a means of torture. Quote
roddy Posted January 23, 2009 at 09:25 AM Author Report Posted January 23, 2009 at 09:25 AM Randall's post made me look up the character 刑, causing me to find: 膑刑, bìnxíng - punishment of removing kneecaps I thought corpse wax was bad. . . Quote
yersi Posted January 23, 2009 at 11:36 AM Report Posted January 23, 2009 at 11:36 AM 對口型 duì kǒuxíng - lipsynch. Quote
gougou Posted January 24, 2009 at 11:57 AM Report Posted January 24, 2009 at 11:57 AM Staying with funny uses for animals, today: squid. 炒（老板的）鱿鱼 - to quit/be fired Apparently stems from the way squid rolls up when being cooked, which is similar to a laid-off worker in the old days rolling up his bed sheet to leave. Quote
randall_flagg Posted January 24, 2009 at 12:58 PM Report Posted January 24, 2009 at 12:58 PM OK, staying with the animal theme: 哈巴狗 which can either be a Pekinese dog or someone who toadies up to people. Quote
skylee Posted January 30, 2009 at 02:39 PM Report Posted January 30, 2009 at 02:39 PM 炒（老板的）鱿鱼 - to quit/be firedApparently stems from the way squid rolls up when being cooked, which is similar to a laid-off worker in the old days rolling up his bed sheet to leave. Didn't seem so apparent to me. I know it is Cantonese, though. Not sure why it means what it does, though. Quote
roddy Posted January 31, 2009 at 10:17 AM Author Report Posted January 31, 2009 at 10:17 AM 查夜, cháyè - to patrol at night, although I just heard it in the context of police raiding a nightclub* *On the TV! Quote
yersi Posted February 1, 2009 at 06:25 AM Report Posted February 1, 2009 at 06:25 AM Finally found one for the animal theme: 导盲犬 dǎomángquǎn - guide dog. Quote
imron Posted February 1, 2009 at 12:54 PM Report Posted February 1, 2009 at 12:54 PM (edited) 羊水 yángshuǐ - amniotic fluid Edited February 4, 2009 at 04:47 AM by imron tones Quote
roddy Posted February 2, 2009 at 03:08 PM Author Report Posted February 2, 2009 at 03:08 PM 底， de, same as 的 but common in 白话 around the time of the May 4th Movement (my dictionary sez). Quote
imron Posted February 4, 2009 at 04:45 AM Report Posted February 4, 2009 at 04:45 AM 反馈 - fǎnkuì - feedback Quote
yersi Posted February 4, 2009 at 08:07 AM Report Posted February 4, 2009 at 08:07 AM 奶頭 nǎitóu - nipple. Quote
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