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Every year， a number of new words and phrases from the Internet make it to a language’s vocabulary. On December 14， Yaowenjiaozi， a monthly Chinese linguistic journal， released its annual list of the most popular buzzwords of 2016. Huang Anjing， Executive Editor of Yaowenjiaozi， said that except for two policy-related words， this year’s buzzwords were all created or popularized by China’s netizens. “This underlines a trend that language is not created only by the elite， but also generated by the public，” he said.
The most popular buzzwords and expressions used by China’s netizens reveal not only a virtual smorgasbord of linguistic ingenuity， but also the most important topics in the last 12 months. Here’s a look at what was on the tip of the Chinese tongue in 2016.
Watermeloneating Onlookers
While its origins are not clear， the phrase “watermelon-eating onlookers” （chigua qunzhong） has become a popular Internet meme. It is used to describe netizens who populate online forums， discuss and express their views on various issues， but often are really just gossiping without any first-hand knowledge of the real matter at stake. It is somewhat akin to the phenomenon of “armchair critics.”
Ge You Lying Back
Two decades after the scene was first broadcasted in a television show， the comfortable-looking but slightly inelegant “couch-potato” pose of Chinese comedian Ge You turned into a meme and spawned a wave of good humored interpretations and imitations.
The expression “Ge You lying back” is now widely used to describe the lazy slackers who spend most of their time lying about on the couch and do less work than they should. As the pace of life in China’s metropolises is becoming faster， citizens are increasingly coming under great pressure and stress. To some extent， the image of Ge You comfortably lying back on the couch reflects the yearning of many people to take it easy and let off some steam.
A “Tiny” Goal
China’s richest man and Dalian Wanda Group Chairman Wang Jianlin sparked discussion across the country after he gave an unusual piece of advice to young people. In a TV program focused on celebrities’ lifestyles， Wang said that young people looking to become wealthy should be reasonable and take a step-by-step approach：“You shouldn’t be too ambitious to start with. Set a tiny goal first， like earning 100 million yuan （$15 million）.”Viewers were shocked by the amount of money， which might seem “tiny”to Wang - who is worth an estimated$33.3 billion - but is a huge sum for anyone else. The expression has been popular ever since as way for netizens to make fun of their somewhat more modest life goals. Set Tricks
Set tricks， or taolu， originally refer to a routine of skills and tricks used by kungfu masters to overpower their adversaries. In modern China， the word has been appropriated by netizens and became synonymous to a ruse or trick employed by someone ill-intentioned driven by selfinterest. Many netizens have started using the expression“more sincerity， less tricks”to express their yearning for more honesty and fair play in today’s society.
Prehistoric Powers
In August 2016， the expression “prehistoric powers”（honghuangzhili） attained instant popularity after Chinese swimmer and Olympic medalist Fu Yuanhui used it on live television. Asked by a reporter how she managed to break her personal record in Rio 2016 women’s backstroke semi-final， she answered candidly： “I’ve used all my prehistoric powers，”meaning she had used up all her strength and spared no effort.
The colorful expression quickly became viral on Chinese social media， and is now used by athletes and netizens alike to describe the enormous energy - the so-called “prehistoric powers”- one can spend when trying hard to accomplish something.
Blue Skinny Mushroom
The high number of homonyms in Chinese makes it an ideal language for puns and word play. In this case， the Chinese pronunciation of “blue skinny” （lan shou） is very similar to nanshou， which means very sad or unhappy. The pronunciation of mushroom in Chinese （xianggu） is also similar to xiangku， which means “I want to cry.”Depending on the context， the expression can thus either mean “blue skinny mushroom”or “I am sad and I want to cry.” This buzzword became popular when a young man used the expression in a video to describe his feelings after breaking up with his girlfriend. So beware next time your Chinese friend mentions blue mushroom - they might actually be talking about something completely unrelated.
Supply Side
In November 2015， the phrase “supply-side structural reform” was put forward for the first time at the 11th Conference of the Central Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs. The expression immediately gained momentum and became a recurrent theme on the policy agenda throughout 2016.
Promoting the supply-side structural reform is a major step for China to adapt to the new normal of economic development and to strive in an increasingly competitive global landscape following the international financial crisis， and will help meet the new requirements of China’s economic development. Craftsman’s Spirit
In the 2016 Report on the Work of the Government delivered during the Fourth Session of the 12th National People’s Congress， China’s top legislature， held in Beijing in March， Premier Li Keqiang put forward the concept of“craftsmanship” for the first time. Li said that China should encourage enterprises to use custom-tailored and flexible production processes and foster a craftsmanship spirit of creating high-quality products their makers are proud of， so that China can create and improve both its products and brands.
The expression， which quickly became popular not only in manufacturing industries but also in all walks of life， perfectly captured how Chinese consumers are increasingly expecting quality in all aspects of their lives.
Friendship Sinks Only too Quickly
Friendships are prone to sinking， according to Chinese cartoonist Nan Dongni， who released in March on his Weibo a series of cartoons starring cute penguins. One of them， featuring a small capsized boat representing friendship， quickly went viral on social media.
The cartoon was picked up by netizens and became a meme featuring the various reasons for which a friendship could end. For example， when one of the friends finds a boyfriend or girlfriend， or when one of two overweight friends succeeds in losing weight， then the “friendship” can easily capsize and sink. Netizens use the phrase to illustrate how people are constantly changing， which inevitably leads to stormy waters for some “ships.”
The most popular buzzwords and expressions used by China’s netizens reveal not only a virtual smorgasbord of linguistic ingenuity， but also the most important topics in the last 12 months. Here’s a look at what was on the tip of the Chinese tongue in 2016.
Watermeloneating Onlookers
While its origins are not clear， the phrase “watermelon-eating onlookers” （chigua qunzhong） has become a popular Internet meme. It is used to describe netizens who populate online forums， discuss and express their views on various issues， but often are really just gossiping without any first-hand knowledge of the real matter at stake. It is somewhat akin to the phenomenon of “armchair critics.”
Ge You Lying Back
Two decades after the scene was first broadcasted in a television show， the comfortable-looking but slightly inelegant “couch-potato” pose of Chinese comedian Ge You turned into a meme and spawned a wave of good humored interpretations and imitations.
The expression “Ge You lying back” is now widely used to describe the lazy slackers who spend most of their time lying about on the couch and do less work than they should. As the pace of life in China’s metropolises is becoming faster， citizens are increasingly coming under great pressure and stress. To some extent， the image of Ge You comfortably lying back on the couch reflects the yearning of many people to take it easy and let off some steam.
A “Tiny” Goal
China’s richest man and Dalian Wanda Group Chairman Wang Jianlin sparked discussion across the country after he gave an unusual piece of advice to young people. In a TV program focused on celebrities’ lifestyles， Wang said that young people looking to become wealthy should be reasonable and take a step-by-step approach：“You shouldn’t be too ambitious to start with. Set a tiny goal first， like earning 100 million yuan （$15 million）.”Viewers were shocked by the amount of money， which might seem “tiny”to Wang - who is worth an estimated$33.3 billion - but is a huge sum for anyone else. The expression has been popular ever since as way for netizens to make fun of their somewhat more modest life goals. Set Tricks
Set tricks， or taolu， originally refer to a routine of skills and tricks used by kungfu masters to overpower their adversaries. In modern China， the word has been appropriated by netizens and became synonymous to a ruse or trick employed by someone ill-intentioned driven by selfinterest. Many netizens have started using the expression“more sincerity， less tricks”to express their yearning for more honesty and fair play in today’s society.
Prehistoric Powers
In August 2016， the expression “prehistoric powers”（honghuangzhili） attained instant popularity after Chinese swimmer and Olympic medalist Fu Yuanhui used it on live television. Asked by a reporter how she managed to break her personal record in Rio 2016 women’s backstroke semi-final， she answered candidly： “I’ve used all my prehistoric powers，”meaning she had used up all her strength and spared no effort.
The colorful expression quickly became viral on Chinese social media， and is now used by athletes and netizens alike to describe the enormous energy - the so-called “prehistoric powers”- one can spend when trying hard to accomplish something.
Blue Skinny Mushroom
The high number of homonyms in Chinese makes it an ideal language for puns and word play. In this case， the Chinese pronunciation of “blue skinny” （lan shou） is very similar to nanshou， which means very sad or unhappy. The pronunciation of mushroom in Chinese （xianggu） is also similar to xiangku， which means “I want to cry.”Depending on the context， the expression can thus either mean “blue skinny mushroom”or “I am sad and I want to cry.” This buzzword became popular when a young man used the expression in a video to describe his feelings after breaking up with his girlfriend. So beware next time your Chinese friend mentions blue mushroom - they might actually be talking about something completely unrelated.
Supply Side
In November 2015， the phrase “supply-side structural reform” was put forward for the first time at the 11th Conference of the Central Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs. The expression immediately gained momentum and became a recurrent theme on the policy agenda throughout 2016.
Promoting the supply-side structural reform is a major step for China to adapt to the new normal of economic development and to strive in an increasingly competitive global landscape following the international financial crisis， and will help meet the new requirements of China’s economic development. Craftsman’s Spirit
In the 2016 Report on the Work of the Government delivered during the Fourth Session of the 12th National People’s Congress， China’s top legislature， held in Beijing in March， Premier Li Keqiang put forward the concept of“craftsmanship” for the first time. Li said that China should encourage enterprises to use custom-tailored and flexible production processes and foster a craftsmanship spirit of creating high-quality products their makers are proud of， so that China can create and improve both its products and brands.
The expression， which quickly became popular not only in manufacturing industries but also in all walks of life， perfectly captured how Chinese consumers are increasingly expecting quality in all aspects of their lives.
Friendship Sinks Only too Quickly
Friendships are prone to sinking， according to Chinese cartoonist Nan Dongni， who released in March on his Weibo a series of cartoons starring cute penguins. One of them， featuring a small capsized boat representing friendship， quickly went viral on social media.
The cartoon was picked up by netizens and became a meme featuring the various reasons for which a friendship could end. For example， when one of the friends finds a boyfriend or girlfriend， or when one of two overweight friends succeeds in losing weight， then the “friendship” can easily capsize and sink. Netizens use the phrase to illustrate how people are constantly changing， which inevitably leads to stormy waters for some “ships.”