Meaning:
"盐" means "salt," and "对应" means "response." Originating from Japanese, this term describes the cold response often from pop idols that leaves fans feeling unsatisfied. It's said that the term was first used by a young man who went to a fans' meetup with Haruka Shimazaki, a member of idol girl group AKB48. He said that the singer actress gave short answers like "thank you" and "good" all the time after shaking hands with her fans, not even bothering to give them a smile. He said he felt like "eating a mouthful of salt."
Example
A: 你喜欢的那个歌手有一场粉丝见面会，你买票了吗？
Nǐ xǐhuan de nà gè gēshǒu yǒu yīchǎng fěnsī jiànmiàn huì, nǐ mǎi piào le ma?
There is a fans meetup with the singer you like. Have you bought a ticket?
B: 我只是喜欢听歌，而且听说他是有名的盐对应，去了也是讨没趣。
Wǒ zhǐshì xǐhuan tīng gē, érqiě tīngshuō tā shì yǒumíng de yánduìyìng, qù le yěshì tǎoméiqù。
I only like to listen to his songs. Also I've heard that he's often cold to people, so I don't want to attend and get disappointed.
(First editor: Debra Li)