Catch Phrase | 嘴瓢(zuǐpiáo)

Writer: Debra Li  |  Editor: Stephanie Yang  |  From: Shenzhen Daily  |  Updated: 2020-07-28

Meaning:

“嘴” means “mouth,” and “瓢,” which literally refers to “a gourd dipper,” can mean “uneven” and “crooked.” In northern Chinese dialect, to say someone has a “crooked mouth” implies that the person talks nonsense, is loudmouthed or has a slip of the tongue.

Example:

A: 你会不会有时候说错话?

Nǐ huìbuhuì yǒushíhòu shuōcuòhuà?

Do you sometimes say the wrong words?

B: 当然会。昨天下午我男朋友看足球比赛,从冰箱里拿出一罐啤酒,我忍不住说他,结果就嘴瓢了。我说:“为什么看酒时一定要喝球呢?”

Dāngrán huì。Zuótiān xiàwǔ wǒ nánpéngyou kàn zúqiú bǐsài, cóng bīngxiāng lǐ náchū yīguàn píjiǔ,wǒ rěnbuzhù shuō tā,jiéguǒ jiù zuǐpiáo le。Wǒ shuō :“wèishénme kànjiǔ shí yīdìng yào hēqiú ne?”

Of course I do. Yesterday afternoon, when my boyfriend was about to watch a soccer game, he took a can of beer from the fridge. I couldn’t help complaining a bit, but had a slip of the tongue. I said, “Why is it necessary to drink football while you watch beer?”