1. Don't be too CNN | zuò rén bùnéng tài CNN | 做人不能太CNN

Meaning: A synonym for a malicious frame up and blurring of the line between right and wrong.

Background: During the smashing, looting, and arson this March in Lhasa (known now as ‘3-14’ after the date), a news report by CNN used a photo cropped so it appeared Chinese military officers in a truck were attacking protestors. The undoctored picture, in fact, shows a group of protestors lobbing rocks at said vehicle. Upset by CNN’s distortion of the incident Chinese people from all over the world signed a petition demanding CNN’s apology and protested in China and abroad.

During the Olympic Torch Relay in the US, CNN commentator Jack Cafferty made this remark about China: “I think they're basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they've been for the last 50 years." To describe Chinese citizens as outraged by these remarks is to put it far too lightly. Petitions, boycotts, and an array of anti-CNN merchandise popped up and “don't be too CNN” became a popular phrase online – even popping up in rap videos made by infuriated netizens.

2. Pseudo | shān zhài | 山寨

Meaning: The word ‘pseudo’evolved this year in the cyber-lexicon. In addition to meaning counterfeit and fake it now sometimes has a positive connotation meaning self-made and implying creativity.
 

Background: Stemming from the local Guangdong dialect, this slang phrase meaning “pseudo” was first widely used in the phrase “pseudo mobile phone” – meaning a phone made by Hokia, Sumsung, or other quasi-legitimate brand. After that, pseudo-electric appliances, pseudo-celebrities, pseudo-architecture, and pseudo-television shows flowed forth in an endless stream. According to some media commentators, pseudo culture is the anti-mainstream expression of the grassroots creativity and anti-elite spirit of the masses. Other experts decree that 'pseudo-culture' should not surmount legal principles and 'non-governmental innovation' should not be obtained at the cost of 'infringements'.

3．Fan Run-run | Fàn Pǎo Pǎo | 范跑跑

Meaning: Someone who runs away from a situation which morality dictates they deal with, while maintaining their innocence.
 

Background: Fan Run-run (real name Fan Meizhong) was teaching at a private middle school in Sichuan when the ‘5-12’ Wenchuan earthquake struck. Instead of helping his students he immediately sprinted out of the classroom. He rose to notoriety after posting a thread on a forum – after the earthquake - saying in such fatal occasions he would never sacrifice himself for anyone but his daughter. In the horrible aftermath of the quake, as thousands sought find out the state of missing relatives and children and cope with their losses, his words had great repercussions. Netizens ironically dubbed him “Fan Run-run” and he was widely excoriated in all manner of media. The event brought about a discussion on the responsibility of educators and the Ministry of Education announced that “protection of students’ safety” was to be clearly listed, for the first time, in the professional work ethics codes of middle school and primary school teachers. He recently got a job in Beijing where his appointment has already been marred by protests.

4. Push-up | fǔ wò chēng | 俯卧撑

Meaning: To agree to the official version of a situation so as to stay out of trouble.

Background: Weng’an is a small county in the north of Guizhou Province but on Jun. 28th, 2008, a shocking event drew global attention.

Starting the afternoon of Jun. 28th a group of locals expressed their dissatisfaction with the autopsy results and death certificate that stated Li Shufen, a 16 year old female high school student, had committed suicide, by gathering in Weng’an’s public security and county government buildings. Many suspected she’d been raped killed by the son of a prominent family and another youth. Over the next 7 hours the protest turned into an occupation of several government buildings and escalated into a small scale riot as a small faction smashed, robbed, and burned the county committee building and several police cars.

Three days after the Weng’an ‘6-28’ Incident the Guizhou government issued the official news release. The report claimed that when Li Shufen had gone onto the bridge to commit suicide (the official report claims she was depressed because her parents favored her older brother) 18 year old Liu Yanchao was on the bridge doing push-ups. The official report states: “While Liu was doing the third push-up, he heard Li Shufen saying, ‘I’m leaving’ and saw her jumping into the river”.

As more information came to light that cast doubt on the official version the phrase ‘push-up’ and ‘doing pushups’ came into widespread use reflecting, in an ironic fashion, the netizens’ yearn for truthful reporting of public incidents.

5. Very pornographic, very violent | h?n huáng h?n bàolì | 很黄很暴力 

Meaning: Refers to graphic materials which should be censored and utilizes the sentence structure “very + adj. 1+ very + adj. 2” to emphasize the extreme degree. 

Background: Derived from CCTV news report on purifying online materials. Zhang Shufan, a 13-year girl says: “Last time when I searched for information on the internet, a webpage popped up that was very pornographic and very violent, so I closed it immediately.” Her sentence took off and it is now common for online writers and posters to use ‘very pornographic, very violent’ (in an unironic fashion) to describe gruesome and/or graphic web sites, movies, or computer games.

6. Thundering | léirén | 雷人

Meaning: On the internet thunder is no longer just a natural phenomenon, now it is more often used to show to express a reaction of discomfort, shock, fainting or speechlessness when suddenly confronted with something you don’t like to see.
 

Background: This phrase is said to derive from a local dialect of northeast Zhejiang Province, indicating the loud crash of thunder. Now the expression is used in phrases such as “so thundering”, “I’m thundered”, as so on. 

7. Pig-Strong | zhū jiān qiáng | 猪坚强

Meaning: Unlike headstrong, “pig-strong” has an entirely positive meaning – not being defeated by setbacks and planning ahead to prevent them.

Background: A fat pig in Chengdu survived the “5-12” earthquake after being buried in the ruins for 36 days. The chief executive of Jianchuan Museum spent RMB 3008 to buy the pig and named it “Pig-Strong”; he plans to feed the pig until its natural death.

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: Internet slang