杯具
释义 DEFINITION
『杯具』原指盛放饮料的器皿，但在网络语境中已成为『悲剧』的谐音替代词。该词通过同音置换形成幽默效果，主要用于调侃生活中的不如意或尴尬处境，常见用法包括：
- 自嘲式表达（如『今天又加班，真是杯具』）
- 对他人遭遇的戏谑评价（如『你手机掉马桶？杯具啊』）
- 作为形容词使用（如『这也太杯具了』）
根据百度指数统计，该词在2009-2012年间达到使用高峰，现已成为中文互联网的经典谐音梗。
词源故事 ETYMOLOGY
这个谐音梗的起源可追溯到2009年豆瓣社区的讨论帖。当时有用户故意将『悲剧啊』打成『杯具啊』，瞬间引发跟风创作。三个月内，『杯具体』席卷天涯、贴吧等平台，网友甚至发展出完整语法体系：
『人生就像牙缸，你可以把它看成杯具，也可以看成洗具（喜剧）』
『人参（人生）要泡在杯具里才能入味』
2010年《咬文嚼字》杂志将其列为年度十大流行语，淘宝随即出现大量『杯具』主题马克杯，部分高校辩论赛甚至以『杯具/洗具哪个更能代表当代青年心态』为辩题。随着表情包文化的兴起，流泪的茶杯表情成为Z世代表达无奈的标准数字肢体语言。
例句：
甲方半夜两点要改方案？当代设计狗的日常杯具
刚买的冰激凌还没吃就掉了，今日份杯具+1
DEFINITION
The term beiju (literally 'tea cup set') is a quintessential Chinese internet pun, homophonous with the word 'tragedy' (悲剧 bēijù). It functions as:
- A self-deprecating meme for life's minor misfortunes (e.g. 'Forgot my umbrella in a rainstorm - total beiju moment')
- A cultural shorthand to soften real frustrations with humor
- A linguistic cushion allowing Chinese netizens to discuss setbacks without sounding overly dramatic
Think of it as the Mandarin equivalent of saying 'That's just my luck!' while holding up a coffee mug emoji.
ETYMOLOGY
The beiju phenomenon began in 2009 when a typo on Douban (China's Reddit-like forum) accidentally substituted 'tragedy' with 'tea set'. This serendipitous wordplay resonated deeply with millennials grappling with urban pressures. Within weeks, creative adaptations flooded the internet:
Netizens philosophized: 'Life is like a toothbrush cup - you can see it as beiju (tragedy) or xiju (comedy, using the homophone for 'wash set')'
E-commerce platforms capitalized by selling 'My Life Is a Tea Set' mugs. By 2011, the meme evolved into visual culture - animated crying teacup stickers became the go-to reaction image for first-gen '996' workers facing overtime. Linguists note this reflects a cultural shift: where older Chinese might solemnly declare 'wo de ming ku' (my fate is bitter), younger generations armor themselves with beiju's protective irony.
Example usage:
'My dating app matches keep ghosting me - this is peak beiju'
'Forgot to save the document before the computer crashed... *insert crying teacup emoji*'