Meaning:

    Literally the term means to “pick up a lunch box.” However, this is in fact euphemism for “death” or “game over” for a role in a film, TV show, animation or novel. It originated from “Hei Kek Ji Wong” (“King of Comedy”), a Stephen Chow movie from 1999. Chow’s role in the movie, who works as extras in movies, often gets a meal box as pay after his work is done. Therefore, “fetching his lunch box” means his job is done and he is no longer needed. Correspondingly, to “give out a lunch box” means to “kill a role,” and to “throw up a lunch box” means to “get a rebirth” for a role.

    Example:

    A: 《权力的游戏》第六季太多人领便当了。

    《Quánlì de yóuxì》 dìlìujì tàiduō rén lǐngbiàndāng le。

    So many roles died in Season 6 of “Game of Thrones.”

    B: 是啊，不知道下一季轮到谁？

    Shì a, bù zhīdào xiàyījì lúndào shuí?

    True. I wonder who will be killed in the next season.

    A: 这部剧不愧为最火的便当剧，它把发便当变成了一种艺术。

    Zhè bù jù bùkuì wéi zuì huǒ de biàndāng jù, tā bǎ fābiàndāng biànchéng le yīzhǒng yìshù。

    No wonder this show is so popular. The scenes where the characters died were shot in such artistic ways.