Double eleven is over. Some Chinese say they have to “剁手吃土 (duò shǒu chī tǔ) chop their hands off and eat dirt,” and Double 12 is around the corner. Double 12 resembles Double 11 and is another new shopping carnival day. Are you ready for it?
(Why Do Chinese People “吃土 (Chī tǔ)” After the Double 11?”)
Because of the torrent of shopping triggered by all kinds of promotions, some people often unwittingly spend more than they want to spend, only to regret overspending later. People who tend to overspend often say that they should chop their hands off in order to curb their spending. They exaggerate by saying that if they didn’t have hands, they wouldn’t be able to click on the deals! So we often call them “剁手族 (duò shǒu zú) hand choppers” which means the group of online shopaholics.
“剁手党 (Duò shǒu dǎng)” refers to the crowds of people who indulge in online shopping, the majority of which are girls. These people look through shopping websites every day, contentedly searching for items, comparing prices and shopping for anything they might need. They never get tired of it. Oftentimes they feel like they’ve been very economical, but in fact, they have bought a ton of items with no practical value, thereby wasting time and money.
(In Addition to Online Shopping, Unmanned Convenience Stores Are Also Very Popular in China!)
Origin:
According to textual research, the earliest “剁手党 (duò shǒu dǎng)” most likely is the beggar Hong Qigong who was a “美食家 (měishíjiā) connoisseur of fine food” and martial arts master in Jin Yong’s famous book—“The Legend of the Condor Heroes.” Master Hong regards martial arts as his life, but if he finds any kind of “美食 (měishí) delicacy,” he is even willing to sacrifice himself to get it. In the book, there is a scene where a mistake is made because of his “贪吃 (tān chī) gluttonousness.” After that incident, he decides to cut off his right index finger and “发誓 (fāshì) vows” not to do it again. However, it is of no use because after that his “追求 (zhuīqiú) pursuit” of food is still as tireless as ever.
Key words:
剁手 (Duò shǒu): chopping off one’s own hands
剁手族 / 党 (Duò shǒu zú / dǎng): the group of online shopaholics
美食家 (Měishíjiā): connoisseur of fine food
美食 (Měishí): delicacy, delicious food
贪吃 (Tān chī): gluttonousness
发誓 (Fāshì): vow
追求 (Zhuīqiú): pursue, pursuit
(1) Sometimes you can also use the existing vocabulary for shopaholics to describe “hand-chopping people.” Such as a big spender, shopaholic, oniomania, shopping maniac, or shopping addict.
Example 1:
Wǒ māma shì gè “duò shǒu dǎng.”
我妈妈是个“剁手党”。
My mom is a shopaholic.
Example 2:
Dǎzhé de yōuhuì quàn duì “duò shǒu dǎng” yǒu zhe jùdà de yòuhuò lì.
打折的优惠券对“剁手党”有着巨大的诱惑力。
Coupons and discounts are very alluring to shopaholics.
(2) “chopping hands” means “to go shopping” or “on a shopping spree.”
Example 1:
Shuāng shíyī zhè yìtiān, wúshù Zhōngguó xiāofèizhě máng zhe duò shǒu.
双十一这一天，无数中国消费者忙着“剁手”。
On Double 11, countless Chinese consumers frantically engage in shopping sprees.
Example 2:
Wǒ yǐjīng zǔzhǐ bù liǎo zìjǐ duò shǒu le.
我已经阻止不了自己“剁手”了。
I can not stop myself from going on a shopping spree.
Read the dialogue and answer the question below.
Wáng Qīng: Lì Li, jīnnián shuāng shí yī yǒu hěnduō cùxiāo huódòng, nǐ dǎsuàn mǎi xiē shénme ya?
王青： 丽丽，今年双十一有很多促销活动，你打算买些什么呀？
Lì Li: Búyào yòuhuò wǒ, wǒ yǐjīng chénggōng duò shǒu la.
丽丽：不要诱惑我，我已经成功剁手啦。
What does Li Li mean? Please choose the best answer.
A. Li Li chopped her hands.
B. Li Li plans to buy a pair of gloves.
C. Li Li still went on a shopping spree recently.
D. Li Li managed to quit shopping online like crazy.
See Answer Analysis
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