User Comments - RJ
RJ
Posted on: I'm pregnant!
September 29, 2008 at 8:34 AMMike - "zone out" is a fairly common expression meaning to be in a daze. Your concentration is somewhere other than where it needs to be.
Millie- 差一点 refers to a small differnce, hence the meaning of almost. If there is a small difference between where you are, and where you want to be, then you are almost there. As for when to use 差一点 or 差不多, we will have to wait for the CPOD team to answer but Im thinking its pretty arbitrary. I get the feeling that 差一点 would be used when you still plan to finish something and get there but 差不多 describes something that is done, but similar to something else. Just a guess really. Lets see what happens.
RJ
Posted on: The New News and Features Jingle Contest Winner!
September 28, 2008 at 9:17 AM
顺口溜 shun4 kou3 liu1 could be "jingle" in this sense if I can believe my dictionary. It seems as if this would pertain more to the lyrics than the music.
RJ
Posted on: Transliteration into Chinese and the Long Pinky Fingernail
September 27, 2008 at 6:10 AMI have several Chinese friends that wear the long pinky finger nail, and by their own admission it is a utility device for cleaning the ears etc. To me this kills any fashion statement it might have made.
Posted on: Farm Animals
September 25, 2008 at 9:08 AMBrent,
love your pet. I used to have one but just could not house break the beast. Mine was a female, and made unbearable noises. How about yours?
Posted on: Reading Faces and Shanghai Architecture
September 24, 2008 at 12:45 PMGreat subject. Now I know why my eyebrows are so far apart. I did some research of my own and was told big nose also hints at size of other male body parts. Hmmm. David is too polite to give us the juicy stuff. It makes you wonder how many times the Chinese have analyzed your facial features while you sit at dinner. What effect does this have on business I wonder. I have had my palms read several times in China. This would make a good show also, but maybe difficult to describe.
Posted on: Cosmetic Surgery and Mooncakes
September 15, 2008 at 11:08 PMSad or not, I dont think you can blame this on the west xinjiapo2703, this is a fundamental part of human nature. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look nice and like it or not, nature has made this important. The key is balance.
Posted on: Making Negative Comparisons
September 15, 2008 at 1:41 AMI love the 捣蛋鬼 dao3 dan4 gui3, Chinese is so cool sometimes. I also remeber that 酒鬼 jiu3 gui3 is drunkard or alcoholic. So we have the stir the egg ghost as a trouble maker or disruptive person and the alcohol ghost as the drunk. How sensible is that. Some others are:
小鬼 Xiao3 gui3 - little demon (for a child),
色鬼 se4 gui3 - sex maniac,
烟鬼 yan1 gui3 - heavy smoker,
老烟鬼 lao3 yan1 gui3 - chain smoker
冒失鬼 mao4 shi5 gui - reckless person
吊死鬼 diao4 si3 gui3 - hangman
懒鬼 lan3 gui3 - lazy person
讨厌鬼 - tao3 yan4 gui3 - slob
白鬼 bai2 gui - white devil
洋鬼 yang2 gui3 - foreign devil
淫鬼 yin2 gui3 - lecherous devil
and somewhat related is the expression 鬼扯腿 gui3 che3 tui3 which is basically ghost pull leg - the devil made me do it. My excuse for everything.
Posted on: The Expat Show and a Jingle Contest
September 14, 2008 at 6:02 AMHenning - you have gotten your wish. I hope you can play an instrument. :-)
Light - I am expecting an entry from you. I hear you can play like Hendrix. Maybe do the Chinese national anthem, Hendrix style.
Posted on: The New News and Features Jingle Contest Winner!
September 29, 2008 at 10:25 AMHenning,
I believe Amber did say something about a party.