Selfie stick

[abcdefg]

Anyone know what these are usually called (daily speech/口语。) My best guess is 自拍棍子, which seems to work in Baidu for an image search. I'm also finding 杆 (自拍杆。）

 

Thanks. (I'm not in China just now and can't simply ask one of my friends.)

 

[gato]

自拍神器 or 自拍杆.

See here:

http://search.jd.com/Search?keyword=%E8%87%AA%E6%8B%8D%E7%A5%9E%E5%99%A8&enc=utf-8&suggest=1.def.0&wq=%E8%87%AA%E6%8B%8D&pvid=qm1mptji.lfir7h

[skylee]

Or 自拍神棍.

But these sticks are banned in most places, aren't they?

[somethingfunny]

自拍棒？

 

They might be banned, but in China everyone is still using them.

[abcdefg]

Thanks. I cannot help wondering about the origin of 自拍神器。 Do you suppose 神 means "awesome" or "amazing" here? As in "awesome tool/amazing gadget."

 

   

[Angelina]

自拍神器

 

 

This does not mean a selfie stick, it means the overpriced Casio thing Chinese women have been 抢购ing recently. 

 

They did not know how to call it, so it is a 神器, supposedly will make you look like a 神仙- for a discounted price of 6999 RMB only. 

 

 

 

 

 

[abcdefg]

Interesting. Thanks, Angelina.

[lling]

We call them 自拍杆

[Kenny同志]

You might be much better off using 自拍桿. In internet slang, 神器 means a tool that is amazingly useful; in formal Chinese, it often refers to the throne.

 

自拍棍子 and 自拍棒 do not sound good to me.

[abcdefg]

Thank you Kenny and Lling. Appreciate the help of knowledgeable native speakers.

[dwq]

In terms of Japanese culture, there are three famous 神器 that the imperial family is said to possess, passed down by its godly ancestors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Regalia_of_Japan

There are many references to them in popular culture, and in many Japanese RPGs 神器s are either the most powerful artefacts the player can use (usually at the end of the game) or so powerful that they cannot be directly used and serve as a plot device.

My guess is when the Casio camera got popular in Japan, merchants importing it to China decided to call it 神器 to give the impression that it is a very powerful / useful tool. I'm not sure if the Japanese call it that. They did at one time call the Refrigerator, the Washing machine, and the TV that as they were useful devices essential for the housewife.

[abcdefg]

For the benefit of any other old timers here who are unfamiliar with this noble device, here are some excerpts from the English-language Casio website explaining how this 神器 works and what it enables the user to do. Essentially it is a "selfie camera," built so that you can snap photos of yourself while pretending to check your makeup in a hand mirror. Then you upload them directly to Weixin or QQ or Facebook to share with your admiring followers.

 

LET’S ENJOY SELFIE! EXILIM

Express your “KAWAII”!

 

Support for a “Selfie Life” for girls who want to express “KAWAII”!
Carry the camera with style, and take selfies with the Mirror Cam on a whim.

 

A new style selfie camera that captures the image you see reflected in its mirror surface

With the lens positioned inside the camera’s mirror-finished front body, you can check your reflection while taking pictures. Use your digital camera like a hand mirror when taking selfies. Experience a totally new style for capturing selfie images.

Make-up Mode for capturing beauty just the way you want

Respectively adjust “Skin Tone” and “Smooth Skin” settings according to your preferences. For example, you can use “Skin Tone” to capture your skin in a lighter shade and “Smooth Skin” for a fresher, more lustrous look.

 

"Kawaii" means "cute" or "adorable." Seems that our narcissism knows no bounds.

 

[Angelina]

and of course targeted at women, pardon, girls