August 20

Date:2007-08-20

卡爆族(ka3bao4zu2)
overspending cardholder
It refers to usually young people who always spend not only above their monthly incomes but also beyond the quota of their credit card.

土食者(tu3shi2zhe3)
localvore
Localvore refers to people who eat only locally grown food. The idea is to save on the fossil fuel that is used to transport out-of-season foods for thousands of kilometers. The localvore movement has been in vogue for the past couple of years in the West.

大五(da4wu3)
dependent college graduate
The expression refers to those university graduates in Chinese cities who live off their parents several months or even a few years after their graduation. This Chinese term is coined to mean the “fifth year in university,” implying someone “overstaying” his or her college life.

公费游(gong1fei4you2)
junket
The Chinese characteristic of a junket is that it always goes under the name of an official business or assignment. Recently, some senior government officials in Anhui Province were discovered using public funds and false documents to embark on an overseas sightseeing trip.

丁宠家庭(ding1chong3jia1ting2)
pets-only DINK family
This term refers to DINK (double incomes no kids) and “pets-only” families. Such families prefer to have pets rather than children.

啃椅族(ken3yi3zu2)
seat squatter
This term refers to people who occupy a chair or table in fast-food restaurants and spend several hours there reading books, surfing on the Internet or chatting with friends regardless of other customers’ need for a seat.

阿尔法女孩(a1er2fa3nv3hai2)
alpha woman
Alpha women can always outperform men in study, work and sports. So, where there are alpha women, there are beta men.

半糖夫妻(ban4tang2fu1qi1)
weekend couple
This term translates literally “half-sugar husband and wife.” It refers to couples who live separately five work days of a week and only spend the weekend together to keep their relationship fresh and exciting.

轻熟女(qing1shu2nv3)
young-looking successful woman
It is used to describe those women aged between 25 and 35 who are endowed with both the young and sexy look and the taste, wisdom, salary and social status of a sophisticated, well-established older lady.