They are not just popular words and phrases, but cultural memes with rich contexts and implied attitudes. They testify to linguistic expressiveness of the grassroots and the vibrancy of the Chinese language in the hands of ordinary citizens. Some of them may ultimately find their way into the mainstream, but the ability to use them while they are still hot is tantamount to staking your position on the bandwagon.

    1. Money's not a big deal. （or Money's not a problem. Money's nothing.）（不差钱）

    The year 2009 is not about money? Many might not agree. But sometimes people say it, and wish it were true. A comedy skit on CCTV Spring Festival Gala spawned this famous line about the outwardly nonchalant attitude towards money. People embraced it to express generosity, friendliness or to justify their spendthrift way of life.

    2. What I'm eating is not noodles, but solitude.（哥吃的不是面，是寂寞）

    Other variations include: What I'm smoking is not a cigarette, but solitude. The person I love is not you, but solitude.

    Solitude became a hot word on the Internet during 2009. A post in a forum with a photograph featuring a man eating noodles was accompanied by the caption: "What I'm eating is not noodles, but solitude."

    Later, web users imitated the sentence structure to spin off other phrases with the same key word.

    Solitude is also the punchline for the group of "Zhai" people （who always stay at home in their spare time） and for those who use the Internet every day.

    3. Don't be infatuated with me. I'm only a legend. （不要迷恋哥，哥只是一个传说）

    An online post with a man saying the above sentence became a runaway hit. Unlike the one with "solitude", this one reflects more narcissism. It might be a slogan promoting self-esteem, or you might just use it as self-mockery.

    Both this and the last phrase are uttered by men because the person addresses himself as "your brother". This form of avoiding the first person can be either endearing or pompous. Women are advised to change it to "your sister" for customizing.

    4. Jia Junpeng, mom wants you back home for dinner.（贾君鹏，你妈妈喊你回家吃饭）

    This time, a friendly spirit wins on the Internet. Jia Junpeng, a virtual character first appearing in a post in a forum for the online game World of Warcraft, became famous even though nobody knew anything about him. "Mom wants you back home for dinner" can be used to greet a childhood friend who had become lost, especially in the virtual world. Are you a Jia Junpeng, and did you miss dinner at home today?

    5. Tableware is to the table what tragedy is to life.（人生就像茶几，上面摆满了杯具）

    Chinese Internet users banter about life using humorous metaphors. They compare life to the table, and liken tragedies that occur to tableware on the table. The newly coined Chinese phrase "beiju" （杯具） is a homonym of the word "tragedy" （悲剧）. When pressures mount in daily life, people use jokes to laugh off setbacks at workplace or in romantic relationships. The popular saying can be attributed to Chinese writer Eileen Chang, who described life as a beautiful gown covered with lice.

    6. I'll pay the debt of gratitude by selling myself. （人情债，我肉偿了）

    It's a line used by the heroine Guo Haizao in the popular TV drama "Dwelling Narrowness," which was later removed from BTV due to its controversial content and provocative lines. The character Guo Haizao is the younger of two sisters who pursue their dreams in the city after graduating from a university. In order to earn a place of her own for her family, especially with property prices surging all the time, the elder Guo used her younger sister as collateral. The younger Guo became a mistress of a middle-aged official who has the power and money to help them realize their dream. In a sarcastic but tragic way, the heroin speaks of the difficulties, internal conflicts and pain in all relationships. As the year of 2009 drew to an end, it seemed there would be no end to the overheated property market. The line and the drama itself reminded audiences about the tragedy of life.

    7. Lazy the Sheep is what we want to be. Big Big Wolf is the perfect husband.（做人要做懒羊羊，嫁人就嫁灰太狼）

    The TV series "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf" airs on 50 channels nationwide. The animated show was a success in the television market and has also led to new sayings in the youth market. The show features a herd of goats and several wolves living on "Qingqing Field" and their battle of wits. The character called Lazy the Sheep became a role model for many adult audiences. He's smart and efficient at working and learning, so he has more time to sleep than the others. In many instances, he saved the goats from being caught and eaten by the wolves. But actually, the main villain, Big Big Wolf, never get the chance to eat any one of the goats. He demonstrated his love for his wife, which won the audience's affection.

    8. Believe in Bro Chun, you'll live a long life; believe in Big Zeng, you'll pass every exam.（信春哥，得永生；信曾哥，不挂科）

    Li Yuchun and Zeng Yike are two famous "Happy Girl" singers in a talent show of Hunan Satellite TV. Bro Chun and Big Zeng are nicknames for the girls who look and act like boys. Zeng Yike became famous for her "sheep voice" and her self-composed songs in the talent contest. Her resemblance to ex-happy girl top prize winner Li Yuchun became the subject of spoofs on the Internet. Fans of the two used the saying to promote their popularity, while those who didn't like them used the saying to make fun of their tomboy looks. Love them or hate them, you cannot just avoid them.

    9. When a verb acts passive aggressive （被就业，被加薪，被自杀…）

    When an ordinarily active verb is deliberately twisted into passive form, it often implies the helplessness of the person in controlling his own fate. So, the next time you hear a Chinese use the passive word "bei" （被） ostensibly incorrectly, look for the implication rather than the grammar book.

    10. This cannot be told in details.（这事儿不能说太细）

    This saying repeats the excuse used to reject inquiries on issues of public concern. Asked by a reporter on a TV program about the amount of loans the Tianjin municipality needs to pay back every year on the construction of roads, an official from the city's department of roads replied, "This cannot be told in details." Now the statement is synonymous...

    他们不仅仅是流行的词句，而且是有着丰富背景与深刻喻义的"文化基因"（或文化之大集成）.这证明了中文语言在普通民众中的语言表达根基和其活泼性。当中有些可能最终进入语言的主流，但是趁着这些语句还很火爆的时候使用它们绝对赶潮流/时髦/出风头/出彩。

    声明：下面的都不是我的翻译。是我从网上转贴过来的。估计是本文是根据下文翻译过来的。我看到这篇文章，觉得很好，也大力推荐给大家。

    这是一个充满无限可能的时代，也是一个网络推动的时代。岁末将至，盘点2009年中出现的每一句网络流行语，无一不与我们的生活息息相关；细读每一个网络流行语诙谐和无厘头的背后，无一不是对现实问题的最理性的思考。

    1. 不差钱

    Money is not a problem.

    出处：2009年央视春晚，赵本山、小沈阳等演出了小品《不差钱》。几乎一夜之间，二人转演员小沈阳连同小品中的多句经典台词，红遍大江南北。

    入选理由：赵本山的小品历年来都不乏经典台词，这次有了小沈阳的加盟，语录更是经典。春晚过后，老百姓去餐馆点菜，和餐馆服务员之间最常见的对白就是"这个真没有","这个可以有""咱不差钱".

    2. 哥抽的不是烟，是寂寞！

    What brother is smoking is not a cigarette, but loneliness!

    出处：7月初，在百度贴吧里突然有人发了一张一名非主流男子吃面的图片，图片配文"哥吃的不是面，是寂寞".之后一发不可收拾，有网友相继模仿"哥×的不是×，是寂寞"的句式，"哥上的不是网，是寂寞"、"哥爱的不是你，是寂寞"……

    入选理由：今年，"寂寞体"成为很多人的MSN、QQ签名，仿佛什么事情都可以化作"寂寞"两个字，它折射出现代人需要抚慰的心灵。寂寞是一种病，我们都在寻找治愈它的药片。

    3. 贾君鹏你妈妈喊你回家吃饭！

    Jia Junpeng, your mother wants you to go home to have some food.

    出处：贾君鹏只是个网络虚拟人物，但是在2009年7月16日百度贴吧里的魔兽世界吧里，一个只有标题《贾君鹏，你妈妈喊你回家吃饭！》的空帖，短短几个小时就被390617名网友浏览，引来超过1.7万条回复，并在接下来的一天时间内吸引了710万点击和30万的回复。

    入选理由：相当长一段时间内，"×××，你妈妈喊你回家吃饭！"这种兼具家庭式温馨的调侃语录成了最流行的网络问候语，并影响了社会各界和媒体们对此语录的深度分析。

    4. 人生就像茶几，上面摆满了杯具。

    Life is like a tea table, with bitter cups placed all over it.

    出处：首先是易中天因为在一期《百家讲坛》中瞪大眼睛感叹了一句"悲剧啊",结果就被网友截了图并上传到了网上，随即成为无数网友争相引用的签名档。其实，这句流行语的句式模板来自张爱玲笔下的---"人生是一袭华美的袍，上面爬满了虱子。"

    "杯具"一词诞生后，网上出现了"杯具党",网友们又创造了"餐具（惨剧）"、"洗具（喜剧）"和"茶具（差距）".

    入选理由：在网友看来，"杯具"这个词比"悲剧"能表现内心的无奈，同时又多了一分自嘲的乐观态度，比之前单纯的悲观也多了一分希望。

    5. 不要迷恋哥，哥只是个传说。

    Don't be obsessed with brother. He is only a legend.

    出处：这句话的起源是猫扑大杂烩，由网友"不要迷恋哥"的一个帖子引起的恶搞。

    入选理由：原本是很自恋的一句话，却给无聊的生活添加了一瓶调味剂，它火到什么程度呢？连国际知名大导演张艺谋的新任"谋男郎"小沈阳都在唱"不要疯狂地迷恋我，我只是个传说……"

    6. 人情债，我肉偿了！

    My debts of gratitude have been repaid with my body!

    出处：《蜗居》用犀利的笔触讲述了现代都市白领阶层对房子的渴望以及房奴生活的酸甜苦辣。虽然仍然以上海为故事背景，但剧中人物每日挣扎与奋斗，付出巨大的大城市生活成本，却是很多都市白领的生活写照，编剧六六的犀利台词也成为很多人新的MSN签名。

    入选理由：除了关注热门的社会话题外，剧中的台词也很潮，不仅幽默风趣充满智慧，还贴近老百姓的生活。随着《蜗居》的热播，剧中犀利有深度的台词也随之走红，成为观众们讨论的热点。