Meaning:
Literally “保温杯” means “thermal cups.” A buzzword among Chinese netizens these days, the thermal cup that became a meme on Weibo belonged to Zhao Mingyi, drummer of Chinese rock band Black Panther. Zhao, 48, was photographed holding a thermal cup in his hand by a journalist who marveled that “our rock star since childhood is growing old.” The drummer then posted that photo on his Weibo account and commented “I heard my thermal cup went viral.” That post quickly garnered more than 1,700 comments, most of which expressed sympathy for him getting old. And thermal cups became a metaphor for “middle age” or even “mid-life crisis.” Then, Japanese brand Tiger, a manufacturer of thermal cups and rice cookers, reacted quickly and sponsored the rock band’s 30th anniversary concert in Beijing. Online shoppers have also marketed their products as the same as Zhao’s cup.
Example:
A: 怎么，你也用上保温杯了？
Zěnme, nǐ yě yòng shàng bǎowēnbēi le?
So you are using a thermal cup now? (You look like a middle-aged man!)
B: 赵明义说了，保温杯是爱喝茶人士的标配，和年龄无关。
Zhàomíngyì shuō le, bǎowēnbēi shì ài hēchá rénshì de biāopèi, hé niánlíng wúguān。
Zhao Mingyi already said that a thermal cup is a must-have for tea lovers, and it has nothing to do with age.
(First editor: Debra Li)