Xiehouyu

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Xiehouyu (Chinese: 歇後語 "a saying with the latter-part suspended") is a kind of Chinese proverb consisting of two elements: the former segment presents a novel scenario while the latter provides the rationale thereof. One would often only state the first part, expecting the listener to know the second. Pun is sometimes invoked in a xiehouyu, thus a xiehouyu in one dialect can be unintelligible to a listener speaking another. Valuable linguistic data can sometimes be gleaned from ancient xiehouyu.

[edit] Examples

外甥打燈籠──照舅 (舊)
- pinyin: wàishēng dǎ dēnglong -- zhào jiù (jiù)
- translation: nephew handling [a] lantern - illuminating/according to [his] uncle ([the] old [way])
- gloss: as usual, as before
- Note: 舅 and 舊 are a pair of homophones, and 照 means "according to" as well as "to illuminate"

皇帝的女儿──不愁嫁
- pinyin: huángdì de nǚér -- bù chóu jià
- translation: the daughter of the emperor -- need not worry that she cannot soon be wed
- gloss: someone or something that is always wanted

[edit] References

Rohsenow, John Snowden. A Chinese-English dictionary of enigmatic folk similes (xiēhòuyǔ). Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1991.
Zhongguo da baike quanshu. First Edition. Beijing; Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe. 1980-1993.