Random new word of the day

门槛 mén kǎn doorstep

I think it's thredshold. Is threshold the same as doorstep?

It is if you're referring to (going through) a door. In that context, I wouldn't call it a threshold. Here's the context (from the BotM):

陈清扬说，在此之前二十多年前一个冬日，她走到院子里去。那时节她穿着棉衣，艰难地爬过院门的门槛。

I think threshold is the block that stops the water from getting into the door. And doorstep is the raised step that makes it easier for a person to go through a door with a threshold. Maybe I am wrong.

Ah, I thought you were talking about threshold in the more abstract sense.

I think you're right, and doorsill (or simply threshold) is a better term for what I had in mind (the bottom of the door that you step over when you go through).

档口, dàngkǒu. Saw this today in 档口转让（or was it 转让档口). Can't find it in any dictionaries except zdic.net, which has "事情发生或进行的关键时候。" - however that's the definition for 当口 elsewhere, so I think that might be wrong. 档口 itself seems to mean a stall (for selling things, not for keeping a horse or toilet in).

档口 itself seems to mean a stall (for selling things, not for keeping a horse or toilet in).

It does. Also take a look at this thread -> http://win2003.chi.cuhk.edu.hk/hanyu/chetio.asp?chetio=6417

For 檔, my Xiandai Hanyu Cidian says, "（方）貨攤；攤檔：魚檔/大排檔。“

"事情发生或进行的关键时候。" - however that's the definition for 当口 elsewhere, so I think that might be wrong.

It is not wrong according to this website (just paste 檔口 at the box and press go) -> http://140.111.34.46/newDict/dict/index.html

Oooh, first one of 2009?

行头, xíngtou, a person's outfit / wardrobe. Heard in some random Chinese TV show. There's also the word 行头,hángtóu, something along the lines of foreman or shopkeeper.

how does that word differ from 穿著(if it does differ at all) when used as a noun?

撞衫：zhuang4shan1: show up wearing the same thing as someone else...like guojingjing and zhaowei did this month on some magazine covers (ps I thing jingjing won...it kinda looks like a romper on lao Zhao..hehe)

I am pretty sure 撞衫 is Cantonese.

It's from Cantonese, but now I think it is already imported into Mandarin vocab, even though not officially.

IMO on Guo Jingjing it looks like something that I would see in a shop and wonder: who on earth would ever buy that and wear it?? On Zhao Wei it doesn't make me thing 'What where you thinking??' that much.

I love that Chinese has a word for this kind of situation :-)

My word of the day: 投机分子 tou2ji1fen1zi opportunist.

It's from Cantonese, but now I think it is already imported into Mandarin vocab, even though not officially.

Yeah it's definitely used in mandarin these days b/c I just watched a news program about celebrity fashion in 2008 and they even had a special segment on 撞衫 seems like it happens to 范冰冰quite a bit

todays word is not really a new word but just pronouncing 垃圾 like 乐色...which threw me off a bit when watching a movie and everyone seemed to know that it meant 垃圾except for yours truly...

todays word is not really a new word but just pronouncing 垃圾 like 乐色...which threw me off a bit when watching a movie and everyone seemed to know that it meant 垃圾except for yours truly...

this is how it is pronounced in Taiwan -> http://www.chinese-forums.com/showpost.php?p=56667&postcount=1

氽, tǔn, to float or drift. Also to deep-fry. Not to be confused with 汆.

酬神, chóushén, to sacrifice something to thank the gods.

I'm putting the character 臻 (zhen1) out here just b/c I've seen it in 2 different ads for 2 different products in the last few days. I remember seeing it in a motorola ad...I forgot the other ad though..hmm..I'll have to think about it..anyway, it seems to pop up in names quite frequently..

死對頭 sǐduìtóu, arch enemy

ok, well i finally figured out that 水萝卜(shui3luo2bo) is also called 心里美萝卜(xin1li3luo2bo), which is this

and that 家伙 can also mean a weapon...as in 兄弟们，朝家伙！