"五毛钱的关系"

[Kev]

The earliest use google gives for this phrase is 2005.

It seems to be used in a derogatory way to emphasize that A has nothing to do with B.

I'm guessing the reference is the idea that pro-government comments are paid 50 cents on the internet?

 

But translations such as the following, don't capture the flavour or the reference, if I'm right about the reference:

- nothing to do with

- no relationship to

 

Would it be better to say:

 - worthless

 - not worth a cent

 - the govt wouldn't pay you fifty cents to say

 

Here are three examples (there are many more on the internet):

1. 当然，这个合法性与秦始皇对中华民族的贡献是连五毛钱的关系都没有的。

2. https://twitter.com/EdajLi/status/338299711922503680

3. 如果实在要有点关系，那么，就是和你只有五毛钱的关系，悉尼大学要付你五毛钱～

[Webber King]

This phrase is from the internet in China, then it became the popular spoken Chinese. Actually, the original phrase is '有毛关系', it means A has nothing to do with B, and '毛' in spoken Chinese means 'not'.Then people began to develop this phrase: 有毛关系 -> 有毛线关系. '毛线' means 'wool', and it is only similar with '毛' in its shape, not in meaning (except in spoken Chinese). People did this only for fun.

 

In China, people usually add '?' after that, such as '你和我有毛线关系？'. This is not a question, it means 'Your things are not my business'. Maybe it's called 'rhetorical question' in English.

 

There is another expression in China, that is '没有半点关系', but we don't add '?' after this phrase, such as '你和我没有半点关系。'. This sentence almost has the same meaning with '你和我有毛线关系？', but its mood is weaker. Then, some people mixed them up for fun, a new phrase formed: '有半毛钱关系'. Attention, '线' is only similar with '钱' in its shape, their meanings are totally different.

 

'半' means 'half', so people changed '半毛钱' to '五毛/五毛钱(50 cent)', eventually, the phrase is here: '有五毛钱关系'.

 

有毛关系 -> 有毛线关系

没有半点关系+有毛线关系=有半毛钱关系

有半毛钱关系 -> 有五毛钱关系

'的' is omitted here.

 

Keywords you need to know (in spoken Chinese):

毛 - usually means 'no' or 'not', it's similar with 毛线

毛线 - usually used as negative answer, such as: A: 你是不是做了什么坏事？ B:毛线！我什么都没做！

半点 - half point, usually means 'no', and it's similar with 'not at all'.

半毛钱 - half cent RMB, similar with '半点'.

五毛钱/五毛 - 50 cent, from 'pro-government comments', you know that

 

I hope you will understand me, because it's confusing,  .

 

You can ask me for more information you want to know~~

[Webber King]

Sorry, '半点' should be translated to ‘half dot', it's more accurate. It means it's even smaller than a dot, so it equals 'none'.