When it comes to Chinese names for Western celebrities, “Sweet Tea” is definitely hot, “Fruit Sister” is off the menu and an ample posterior can have you anointed “Lord of Butt.”
The recent Academy Awards minted a new star in China, Timothee Chalamet, a best actor nominee for Call Me By Your Name.
He is known as Tian Cha (甜茶) or “Sweet Tea,” a play on the first syllables in his names and a nod to his heartthrob looks.
He is now among the hottest celebrities on Sina Weibo, the subject of posts like: “Come and drink this cup of sweet tea, until the summer.”
However, things are not so sweet these days for Shuiguo jie (水果姐, “Fruit Sister”), also known as Katy Perry, so-dubbed because of the fruit-colored costumes she is known to perform in.
US media reported that she was in November last year dropped as a headliner for a Victoria’s Secret fashion show in China after she was denied a visa, possibly because she had previously draped herself in the Republic of China flag.
Some names get propagated to the point where some people might find them obscure, as in the case of actress Jennifer Lawrence, or Da biaojie (大表姐, “Big Cousin”).
However, most seem to be more logical.
British actor Tom Hardy is known as Tang Laoshi (湯老濕) — laoshi means “always wet,” apparently because of his typically slicked-back hair.
Another hair-inspired name belongs to British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who sports a curly top in the TV series Sherlock Holmes and has been dubbed Juan Fu (卷福, “Curly blessing”).
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