Meaning:

    “虾” means “shrimp,” “薯” means “potato,” and “文化” means “culture.” This term, originating from the Cantonese transliteration of the English word “harsh,” has nothing to do with food. It refers to the practice of playing pranks on newcomers on the university campus in Hong Kong. The term made headlines this week because a photo posted online showing two male students licking the thighs of a girl student in one of such pranks drew strong criticism for being “vulgar” and “over the top.”

    Example:

    A: 大学新生入学联谊会上被整蛊你怎么看？

    Dàxué xīnshēng rùxué liányíhuì shàng bèi zhěnggǔ nǐ zěnme kàn?

    Freshmen often have pranks played on them at meet-the-newcomers events on campus. What do you think of this?

    B: 这种虾薯文化能让同学们在轻松的气氛中互相认识。

    Zhèzhǒng xiāshǔ wénhuà néng ràng tóngxuémen zài qīngsōng de qìfèn zhōng hùxiāng rènshì。

    These kinds of pranks help students get to know each other in a lively and fun way.

    A: 但有些游戏太过火，简直低俗。

    Dàn yǒuxiē yóuxì tài guòhuǒ, jiǎnzhí dīsú。

    But some of the pranks are over the top and even could be called vulgar.