'Positive energy' chosen as number one Chinese catchphrase of the year
The phrase was picked by a leading language publication as the number one saying of 2012 in its compilation of top 10 catchphrases of the year
A catchphrase meaning "positive energy" has been named the most popular phrase of 2012 on the mainland, reflecting growing public demands for sweeping change amid disenchantment with corruption, pollution and widening wealth and social divides.
Based on an online survey, the annual list of the top 10 phrases of the year was compiled and released at the weekend by Yaowenjiaozi, a linguistics magazine.
As in previous years, the list includes several popular phrases coined from movies, television and documentaries, and others using phonetic puns or homonyms, all of which were widely quoted online and offline to express sarcasm, disapproval or disdain about a certain situation or life in general.
For instance, the phrase yuanfang, "what do you think about it?" - a line from a non-prime-time crime series set in the ancient Tang dynasty in which a renowned detective often consulted his chief assistant, Yuanfang - was the second-most popular catchphrase.
The phrase, initially hard to comprehend out of context, has gone viral online in recent months and is frequently used by internet users to express doubt or disbelief about incompetent officials and their inept handling of investigations.
While Xinhua hailed the phrase as highlighting the public's desire for the truth, Professor Zhu Lijia , of the Chinese Academy of Governance, said it actually underlined the deep-rooted mistrust between the people and government.