A Complete Illustrated Dictionary of Old Shanghai Colloquialisms

Author: Meng Zhaochen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: Calling someone a liar is called "flowering." In Nanjing, there's a saying about insulting people: "If your mother doesn't open her mouth, she won't flower; if she flowers, she won't bear fruit." This means, "When I had sex with your mother, she didn't curse me." The next two lines roughly mean, "If your mother had cursed me and refused, she would never have given birth to such a little bastard."
Playboys often say, "Don't let your cherry flower!" Ancients used cherries to describe the mouths of beautiful women. But somehow, playboys, most of whom are big fists and thick arms, also call their own or others' mouths cherries—this is a bit too catty.
When someone opens their mouth, it's often said they're "blowing flowers" or "spouting lotus flowers," which seems like praise. Why would "flowering" in the mouth carry a meaning of insulting? We also have phrases like "spitting blood at someone," "spitting blood at someone," or "spitting dog blood on someone." This "spit" word, when spread out, has the same meaning as the "flower" in "flowering."
Even in mahjong, if the head of the table "flowers" (loses without saying anything), though it doesn't require speaking, the other three players find it even more unbearable than being cursed at the door. China is a land of etiquette, where modesty is virtue, so playboys still hesitate to "flower" (break the game) and refuse to do so. Eventually, if the game doesn't end, they "flower" and resort to fighting.
A "head" (account) has two meanings: Merchants open an account for customers, preparing for long-term business, which is friendly. There's also a malicious one, where they treat people as fools, also called "heads." The one we're discussing here is the latter, sometimes called a "coffin head." A coffin is made of three long boards and two short ones, also known as "three long and two short." These two short boards are also called "heads."
When buying a coffin, the coffin shop knows that customers haven't seen one before and are all novices, so they'll charge whatever they can. Most of the time, coffin shops make a fool of people, and customers don't understand the quality, so the prices are completely arbitrary. If the buyer is experienced, the price won't vary much. But if you seem determined to buy a good one, they'll treat you as a "head."
In the entertainment world, clever women often "flower" (turn down) locals and pretty boys because they're too greedy. So, they prefer outsiders. Outsiders dress modestly, may look rough, but have money, so they're treated as "heads." They're fed with soup daily, and this "flower" (customer) is taken in.
People who wander around, though penniless, still need to find a rich person to treat as a "head" to make a living. So, when they encounter a young master, they flatter him and get close, studying his interests. If the young master likes women, they'll help him find mistresses. If he likes singing, they'll play supporting roles. Whatever he likes, they'll accommodate it, serving him well while enjoying food, drink, and entertainment, and having money to spend.
Once this "head" goes bankrupt, they'll find another one. As long as there are plenty of "heads," they can keep living.
Another skill is called "having another skill" (). It refers to a person's special and unique skills, techniques, and methods. It's also written as "."