Meaning:
“平平” means “average, common,” and “无奇” means “not special.” The literal meaning of this term is “average, ordinary.” However, Chinese netizens use it jokingly to mean “extraordinary, superb.” This is because the hero of a 1995 wuxia TV series (“The Return of the Condor Heroes”) played by Hong Kong actor Louis Koo has been recognized by fans as the best-looking version of the character Yang Guo, although in that show, other characters use the term “平平无奇” to describe his looks repeatedly. Many netizens therefore left the comment “Let me be the average-looking guy like him” online. People use the term mostly to refer to people or things that sound or appear to be average but are actually extraordinary.
Example:
A: 听说过曲阜师范大学吗？
Tīngshuō guò qūfù shīfàn dàxué ma？
Have you ever heard of Qufu Normal University?
B: 没有。
Méiyǒu。
No.
A: 这所平平无奇的山东学校数学专业排名全国第一。
Zhèsuǒ píngpíng wúqí de shāndōng xuéxiào shùxué zhuānyè páimíng quánguó dìyī。
This extraordinary school in Shandong Province has been ranked as the best university for mathematics in China.