
Hen Side
二五仔
二 Two; 五 Five; 仔 Boy. There are 3 origin stories for this phrase: 1) During the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history, there were two men named "Five" (or the fifth child in their families) who betrayed their lord together. As a result, people called them "Two Fives." 2) During the 1911 Revolution, Mr. Sun Yat-sen referred to traitors as "義忤仔" (People who go against the original intention of the revolution) which has the same pronunciation as 二五仔. 3) The third origin story involves Fu Shui and is difficult to explain. Please contact me if you would like to know more.
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The mole; traitor
量地官
量 Measure; 地 Ground, floor; 官 Officer = Ground measuring officer. It is a humorous term used to describe employed people who walk around without a clear purpose or task. They may be jokingly referred to as "floor measuring officers" because they just pace around without accomplishing anything.
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Unemployed
打甂爐
打 Hit; 甂爐 Clay rondeau pot= Hot Pot. This refers to a type of communal dining where a pot of simmering broth is placed at the center of the table and diners add and cook raw ingredients in the pot. This is a popular meal in many Asian countries. It also means smoking togather around an ashtray from 2000's
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Hot pot; Hotboxing
雞同鴨講
雞 Chicken; 同 With; 鴨 Duck; 講 Talk = Chicken talking to duck. Because chickens and ducks "speak" different languages and cannot understand each other, so when they try to communicate, it is a futile effort. The phrase is often used to describe a situation where two people are having a conversation but are not on the same page, either because they have different opinions, are talking past each other, or are simply not listening to each other. It implies a sense of frustration or annoyance at the lack of communication and understanding between the two parties.
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Talking past each other; On different wavelength
守水塘
守 Guard; 水塘 Reservoir. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Royal Hong Kong Police was known for being heavily corrupt. However, since the water reservoirs were located in remote areas, policemen who were assigned to guard them were not able to receive bribes. As a result, this duty was regarded as very unpleasant and was often delegated to those who were honest or did not get along with their bosses. This phrase now refers to any remote or unlikable job that is avoided by others
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Being sent to Siberia
落花滿天蔽月光
落 Falling; 花 Flower; 滿天 All over the sky; 蔽 Hide; 月光 Moonlight. From the lyrics of "Fragrant Death 香夭" from the well-known Cantonese opera "Dai Neoi Faa 帝女花". This is considered the most iconic line in Cantonese opera, known by almost every Cantonese speaker.
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Falling petals all over the sky, blocking the moonlight
符弗
符 Amulet; 弗 dust whisk. A 符 is a yellow paper with magical signs or symbols on it. A 弗 (拂塵) refers to a dust whisk, which is a symbol of Buddhist monasticism. Both the amulet and the dust whisk are used for exorcism in Chinese culture. The word "符弗" (fú fú) is used to connote the "methods" or "tricks" that one has, though not neccessary utilizing mystical or supernatural means to achieve a desired outcome.
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tricks up one's sleeve
竹昇
竹昇 refers to a bamboo culm with nodes at each end that have been plugged. In Chinese culture, this image is used to describe someone who is "plugged" at both ends like a culm, meaning that they do not fully identify with either Chinese or Western culture. The term is often used as a euphemism for ethnic Chinese who grew up overseas, particularly in places with strong Western cultural influences.
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Western-born Chinese
嚇到鼻哥窿都冇肉
嚇 Scared; 到 Till; 鼻哥窿 Nostrils; 都 Also; 冇 No; 肉 Meat = so scared that the flesh disappeared from the nostrils. This phrase is used to describe fear or terror, to the point where the nostrils flare and appear to be larger than normal, as if the flesh around them has disappeared. The phrase is often used in a humorous or exaggerated way to describe situations where someone is frightened or startled.
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Petrified; (one's) heart is in (one's) throat
屈機
屈 Yield, surrender; 機 Game console. t originally referred to a technique used in video game arcades in the late 1980s, where players would exploit bugs or glitches in games such as "Street Fighter" to win. This term is later used to mean any kind of exploitation to win any thing, making one unmatchable. The term has since evolved to refer to any kind of exploitation or cheating to gain an advantage, making the person using the technique unbeatable. The person being 屈機ed is considered to be "owned" or defeated by the person using the technique
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Owning (someone); cheesing
唔湯唔水
唔 Not; 湯 Soup; 水 Water = Not soup, not water. It is used to describe a liquid that is not pure enough to be considered water, but not flavorful enough to be considered soup. The term is used to describe a situation in which one is in a dilemma, where neither option is particularly favorable or satisfactory. It implies a sense of being stuck in the middle, with no clear solution or direction.
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Caught between two stools