Double eleven is over. Some Chinese say they have to "剁手吃土 (duò shǒu chī tǔ) chop their hands off and eat dirt," and Double 12 is around the corner. Double 12 resembles Double 11 and is another new shopping carnival day. Are you ready for it?

Because of the torrent of shopping triggered by all kinds of promotions, some people often unwittingly spend more than they want to spend, only to regret overspending later. People who tend to overspend often say that they should chop their hands off in order to curb their spending. They exaggerate by saying that if they didn’t have hands, they wouldn’t be able to click on the deals! So we often call them "剁手族 (duò shǒu zú) hand choppers" which means the group of online shopaholics.

"剁手党 (Duò shǒu dǎng)" refers to the crowds of people who indulge in online shopping, the majority of which are girls. These people look through shopping websites every day, contentedly searching for items, comparing prices and shopping for anything they might need. They never get tired of it. Oftentimes they feel like they’ve been very economical, but in fact, they have bought a ton of items with no practical value, thereby wasting time and money.

Origin:
According to textual research, the earliest "剁手党 (duò shǒu dǎng)" most likely is the beggar Hong Qigong who was a "美食家 (měishíjiā) connoisseur of fine food" and martial arts master in Jin Yong's famous book—"The Legend of the Condor Heroes." Master Hong regards martial arts as his life, but if he finds any kind of "美食 (měishí) delicacy," he is even willing to sacrifice himself to get it. In the book, there is a scene where a mistake is made because of his "贪吃 (tān chī) gluttonousness." After that incident, he decides to cut off his right index finger and "发誓 (fāshì) vows" not to do it again. However, it is of no use because after that his "追求 (zhuīqiú) pursuit" of food is still as tireless as ever.

Key words:
剁手 (Duò shǒu): chopping off one’s own hands
剁手族 / 党(Duò shǒu zú / dǎng): the group of online shopaholics
美食家 (Měishíjiā): connoisseur of fine food
美食 (Měishí): delicacy, delicious food
贪吃 (Tān chī): gluttonousness
发誓 (Fāshì): vow
追求 (Zhuīqiú): pursue, pursuit

(1) Sometimes you can also use the distinguish vocabulary... Read more

Quiz:

1. Read the dialogue and answer the question below.

Xiǎo Míng: "Xiǎo Hóng, nà jiā diàn dōngxi zhìliàng zěnmeyàng a?"
小明："小红，那家店东西质量怎么样啊？"
Xiǎo Hóng: "Xiāngdāng hǎo, wǒ hái xiǎng zài nà jiā diàn mǎi dōngxi ne."
小红："相当好，我还想在那家店买东西呢。"

What does Xiao Ming mean? Please choose the best answer.

A. Xiao Ming wonders if the store is on the west or on the east.
B. Xiao Ming wonders if goods at that store are of good quality or not.
C. Xiao Ming wonders how the store’s business is.
See Answer Analysis