Quick Language Link: Who left the water dragon head running?!

We all wrestle with the language during our time in China, and most of us are either studying or have studied Mandarin in the past. We’ve also all experienced the frustrations, as well as joys, that come with learning any foreign tongue. Here’s an amusing site to make Mandarin study a little more lighthearted.

“Those Crazy Chinese” describes itself as “an investigation into why the Chinese language kicks ass.” Run by Chris West, a laowai who has lived in Fuzhou since 2007, the site looks at the literal meanings of Chinese words and phrases, often to comic effect.

It’s an interesting insight into Chinese culture, and a great way to pick up some off-the-wall phrases that you’re unlikely to learn in respectable language schools.

My personal favorite word currently on the site’s homepage is ear shit [耳屎], defined thus:

“The Chinese government has made great strides in recent years to improve the quality of hygiene across China, with endless "no-spitting" campaigns and entertaining billboard posters. But how do you explain the fact that everyone in China has shit in their ears? In fact, while in English we enjoy using over-complicated names for commonplace things, in China, people are much more direct. ‘Ear shit’ is in fact just ordinary ear-wax. Similarly, the dirt in your eyes in the morning is called ‘eye shit’ (眼屎) and your snot is, surprise surprise, known as ‘nose shit’ (鼻屎). Quick! Clean the shit out of your eyes and carry on studying!”