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DEL.ICIO.USA bit of useless knowledge, in a time of $4-a-gallon gasoline
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Not long ago, NPR had a report out of China on the building sense of nationalism in that country, a reaction to both the recent earthquake and the coming Olympics.
In the background, a Chinese crowd chanted, “Jia you, Zhongguo, jia you!” — which the translator rendered as “Go, China, go!”
But that wasn’t exactly right. “Jia” means “to add” or “to increase.”
“You” means “oil” — but can also be shorthand for “gasoline.”
“Jia you!” is a phrase that the Chinese hurl at their athletes to spur them on. A more literal, Americanized — and highly ironic — translation might be, “Step on the gas!”
Which China has, more and more. And which is one of the many reasons why you mortgaged your home to fill your tank this weekend.
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