Catch Phrase | 糊了(hú le)

Writer: Debra Li  | Editor: Stephanie Yang  | From:  | Updated: 2019-09-23

Meaning:

Literally this term means “overcooked,” but that has nothing to do with this reinvented usage. Originally, netizens use the Chinese term “胡萝卜” (literally, carrot) jokingly as the transliteration for the English word “flop,” which in time was shortened to “糊了,” with a similar pronunciation. If someone started a topic online but people were totally uninterested, the original post, they say, has become “糊了” (a flop). The term is also used to describe a celebrity that has faded out of the limelight.

Example:

A: 你喜欢的那个脱口秀明星好像糊了。

Nǐ xǐhuān de nàge tuōkǒuxiù míngxīng hǎoxiàng hú le。

Now nobody seems to still care about the talk show host you like.

B: 是的,可能是从传他婚外恋开始的。

Shì de ,kěnéng shì cóng chuán tā hūnwàiliàn kāishǐ de。

True. His fall perhaps started when rumors spread about his extra-marital affair.

A: 我觉得还更早,他太急功近利想赚钱,让大家反感。

Wǒ juédé hái gèngzǎo,tā tài jígōng jìnlì xiǎng zhuànqián,ràng dàjiā fǎngǎn。

Earlier than that, I believe. He was in such a rush to make money out of his fame, which left people feeling disgusted.