August 5, 2008 5:46 PM
Rhymes With 面子
In a month here, I've discovered a few essential words that make getting around and understanding Beijing a bit easier. For now, here's the Rocky Olympic blog's first attempt at a Beijing Dictionary:>Astroturfing: anything started by the Chinese government that they refer to as "grassroots."
>Beware of Landslide: intended to mean "Caution: Slippery when wet."
>The Bird's Nest: the Olympic Stadium.
>BJ: common shorthand for Beijing; no irony or sexual overtones intended in the Chinese-to-English translation.
>BOCOG: the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, which, in tandem with the IOC, is in charge of the Games.
>Chinglish: the common language used on many Beijing signs.
>Guǐzi (鬼子): "ghost," though most often used in the derogatory phrase rìběn guǐzi (日本鬼子), meaning "Japan ghost."
>J: the letter that most foreigners pronounce incorrectly in the word "Beijing"; when the city's name is pronounced with a soft J, locals will accuse you of speaking French.
>Kuai: the local word for currency, also known as the yuan or RMB.
>Lǎowài (老外): a derogatory phrase for foreigner which literally means "old outsider" or "external."
>Miànzi (面子): "honor or reputation"; saving face.
>MPC: the Main Press Centre.
>Nèige (那个): "that one" or "those"; when pronounced quickly, it sounds like an English racial epithet beginning with the letter N.
>Netizens: the Chinese blogosphere.
>Píjiǔ (啤酒): "beer"; usually costs about 3 yuan ($.44) per 600 mL (20.3 ounces) for Tsingtao or Yanjing; does not refer to imported beers like Budweiser or Coors Light.
>The Water Cube: the Olympic swimming venue.
>TIC: meaning "This is China"; refers to any incident in Beijing that defies rational explanation.
>Turn left/right, continue straight, stop here, or any other phrases needed in a taxi: do not attempt to learn these words; just point vigorously and pray to the deity of your choice to secure safe passage.
>Zhège (这个): "this one"; rhymes with nèige; sounds very much like the first word in the title of this explicit Jay-Z song.
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