The number 250 in Chinese，when used to describe people, is an insult. The Chinese characters are 二百五. It means a blockhead, simpleton, idiot. A nincompoop. If you have worked hard to turn things against yourself, you are certainly a 250.
When the U.S. was celebrating its 220th birthday, several of us were talking about what 250 meant in Chinese. A guy joked: "when it's time for the U.S. to celebrate its 250th birthday, the Chinese will laugh and laugh, and we will all feel confused not knowing why ..."
So beware of "250" when people talk to you.
Showing posts with label Chinese slang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chinese slang. Show all posts
Friday, April 23, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Chinese "sluts" in broken shoes -- learning some Chinese slang
破鞋 po4 xie2 (literal translation: broken shoes): loose woman
It used to be such a curse for a woman who was called a loose shoe. Somebody referred to as "broken shoes" was like wearing a scarlet letter A, and would be really looked down upon in her community and wherever people knew her well. When some quarrel occurs, this would be the first weapon others could use to attack her. And this label was really hard to take off all life long! And such a woman always felt like a pariah.
But I think people say things are changing ... Nowadays it seems as if some ladies with similar behavior raise their heads a lot higher and appear much more confident. The extreme version sounds like, if they are capable of being "broken shoe" and are also successful in robbing whatever man from his wife, then they are winners, whether sluts or not. They are no longer forced to carry huge moral debts throughout their lives as before.
Some people in China say this is history taking its upward turn. Some people say it's the opposite. Whatever is true, even the winners nowadays still wouldn't want to be called broken shoes (po4xie2) I'm sure.
It used to be such a curse for a woman who was called a loose shoe. Somebody referred to as "broken shoes" was like wearing a scarlet letter A, and would be really looked down upon in her community and wherever people knew her well. When some quarrel occurs, this would be the first weapon others could use to attack her. And this label was really hard to take off all life long! And such a woman always felt like a pariah.
But I think people say things are changing ... Nowadays it seems as if some ladies with similar behavior raise their heads a lot higher and appear much more confident. The extreme version sounds like, if they are capable of being "broken shoe" and are also successful in robbing whatever man from his wife, then they are winners, whether sluts or not. They are no longer forced to carry huge moral debts throughout their lives as before.
Some people in China say this is history taking its upward turn. Some people say it's the opposite. Whatever is true, even the winners nowadays still wouldn't want to be called broken shoes (po4xie2) I'm sure.
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