Random new word of the day

[Yezze]

时扩张

狂美国人

请问,“时扩张 ”是什么意思?

(英语)

So, my post isn't just an annoying question.

橄 – Gan3 – Olive

[skylee]

化學閹割 - chemical castration (heard it on the radio today)

韓國（南韓）國會周二通過法案，容許法院強制侵犯兒童的罪犯接受「化學閹割」（即用藥物遏抑性慾），開創亞洲先河。根據法案，對未滿16歲兒童施加性暴行的成年罪犯，需接受可長達15年相關藥物治療。 (source)

SKorea votes to legalize chemical castration

多國對性犯罪者實施“化學閹割” 研究稱有效

[calibre2001]

花燭夜-wedding night

斷腸-heartbroken

泉台- the afterlife (can someone correct me?)

殉葬- buried alive

砒霜- poison/arsenic

帝安- the beloved emperor??

駙馬-emperor's son in law

[skylee]

泉台- the afterlife (can someone correct me?)

帝安- the beloved emperor??

I believe the words are from the Cantonese opera 帝女花之香夭. It is not 帝安, but 叩問帝安 -> 向皇帝叩首問安 (bow head and give respect to the emperor)

泉台 - the grave, the nether world

PS - In the context of the opera, 殉葬 does not mean to bury alive. In the story, the groom knows that the bride will kill herself and he agrees to die with her on their wedding night.

[natra]

攻心

gong1 xin1

1. 从精神上或心理上瓦解对方 / take the psychological offensive

政策攻心

Try to win over or obtain a confession from a person by explaining the Party's policy.

2. ［中医药］(毒气、怒火等)侵袭身体以致危及生命 / be in a coma or remain in a stupor (because of sorrow or hatred), or be in danger of dying (from severe burns or gangrene)

你这是邪火攻心，需要服点降火的药。

You are suffering from excessive internal heat and need some medicine to treat it.

source: nciku

[skylee]

Re 攻心. A frequently used description is 飯氣攻心.

[renzhe]

狗刨 gǒupáo doggy-style swimming

[natra]

re: 狗刨

*applauds*

[jbradfor]

保鮮紙 -- plastic wrap / cling wrap / cling film

Not sure why this one appeals to me so much. Maybe because the Chinese is so straight-forward: "protect freshness sheet". Or maybe because I've always liked the British name for this -- "cling film" -- so much more than the American name. "plastic wrap", boring boring boring.

[skylee]

事業線 - Originally, it refers to the line on your palm that tells you about your career. Now it has a new meaning - cleveage 乳溝.

[jbradfor]

Appropriate. For some careers, 乳溝 does determine the line (path) of your career....

[xiaocai]

Damn it, so where should I show if my colleague asks to see my 事业线 next time?

[jbradfor]

Well, what line of work are you in?

[xiaocai]

It's a secret.

[renzhe]

那谁

A cool not-really-word I ran into today, roughly meaning "you know who I mean".

[Lu]

I once had a Chinese acquaintance who quite consistently referred to her boyfriend/fiance, whom she was living together with, and whom I knew as well, as 那个他. I suppose this got easier once they got married, he could just be 我老公.

[jbradfor]

I like that one. Few languages seem to currently have a good word for someone more than a boyfriend/girlfriend, but not officially a fiancé/fiancée. "Shacking up" doesn't quite cut it for me. The 1980 USA census tried "POSSLQ", but it never caught on for some reason B) "那个他" about as good as any.

[crazy-meiguoren]

Interesting... 奥克兰 refers to two cities with different names... one in California, the other in New Zealand.

[crazy-meiguoren]

波士顿港口 = Bawstonawba.

阿诺德・施瓦辛格 = Governator.

新奥尔晾 = Nawlins.

[crazy-meiguoren]

...the American name. "plastic wrap", boring boring boring.

It gets worse. Some people call it "Saran Wrap", even if it's a different brand.