Buzzword: gay达 gaydar

gay达 gay dá

gaydar

The term “gay达” is translated from “gaydar,” a portmanteau of gay and radar. The earliest citation of the word is considered in Margaret Cruikshank’s book “The Lesbian Path” in 1981. And the usage was popularized in China through American series “Modern Family,” in a scene where Mitchell Pritchett (played by Jesse Tyler Ferguson) said, “My gaydar is never wrong and it is pinging like we’re at a bathhouse.” The word, which means the ability to recognize homosexuals through observation or intuition, has been the subject of a fair amount of scientific controversy. Some researchers have argued that it’s real, while others have claimed that it’s stereotypes and a myth.

有科学家认为，gay达是真实存在的，鉴于有些人可以同过非语言线索辨别出人们的性取向。不过有gay达并不是一种特殊才能。

Yǒu kēxuèjiā rènwéi, gay dá shì zhēnshí cúnzài de, jiànyú yǒuxiē rén kěyǐ tōngguò fēi yǔyán xiànsuǒ biànbié chū rénmen de xìngqǔxiàng. Búguò yǒu gay dá bìng búshì yīzhǒng tèshū cáinéng

Some scientists reckon that gaydar really is a thing, in that some can tell people’s sexual orientation from nonverbal cues. However, gaydar is not considered a special talent.

工具人 gōngjùrén

errand runner/a back-up person (in relationships)

The expression, originally meaning an errand runner who is generally open to helping with any day-to-day task, has been extended to refer to a back-up person in relationships or a hard-working employee whose achievement is often taken for granted. In a romantic relationship, a “工具人” is similar to a “备胎” or “舔狗” — a second line, a plan-B, a just-in-case and a contingency, showing that one partner is being used or benched by the other. While at the workplace the term refers to those who are often overworked and underpaid.

In the field of eSports, it is also used to describe gamers who are willing to make the effort and support their teammates. Many netizens, from urban-dwelling workers to well-known entertainers and celebrities, like to call themselves as “an unemotional errand runner” in a self-deprecating manner.

在“集合吧！动物森友会”的游戏世界里，我的邻居们过着悠闲的生活，而我要每天完成日常任务还要送他们礼物。对他们而言，我只是一个没有感情的工具人。

Zài “Jíhé ba! Dòngwù Sēnyǒuhuì” de yóuxì shìjiè lǐ, wǒ de línjūmen guòzhe yōuxián de shēnghuó, ér wǒ yào měitiān wánchéng rìcháng rènwù háiyào sòng tāmen lǐwù. Duì tāmen éryán, wǒ zhǐshì yígè méiyǒu gǎnqíng de gōngjùrén.

In the world of video game “Animal Crossing,” my neighbors live an ideal life while I have to complete daily tasks and bring them gifts. To them, I am nothing but an unemotional errand runner.