Meaning:

    Literally this term means to “raise cattle,” but if your friend who has never had any farming experience talks about “养牛,” you know it’s not really about cattle. The “cattle” they refer to is in fact “jeans,” whose Chinese translation is “牛仔裤” (literally, cowboy pants). Denim aficionados have debated on how to take care of their jeans, and some would insist keeping them out of your laundry. The term “养牛” refers to the practice of wearing a pair of jeans very often and wash as little times as you can, so that the jeans will wear down naturally and become unique in the wrinkles and faded shades. Last year, Levi’s CEO Chip Bergh said that he had not washed his jeans for a year as part of The Dirty Jeans Manifesto. The call for not washing your jeans is green-minded in terms of saving water.

    Example:

    A: 我想养牛，可是穿太久了又不洗怎么清洁呢？

    Wǒ xiǎng yǎngníu, kěshì chuān tài jǐu le yòu bù xǐ zěnme qīngjié ne?

    I want to wear down my jeans naturally and not to wash them, but how do I keep them clean after a long period of time?

    B: 可以用醋或者伏特加喷洒然后晾干，也可以翻过来放在冰箱里冻一天。

    Kěyǐ yòng cù huòzhě fútèjiā pēnsǎ ránhòu liànggān, yě kěyǐ fān guòlái fàngzài bīngxiāng lǐ dòng yītiān。

    You can spritz jeans with white vinegar or vodka before hanging them out to air dry. Or you can turn your jeans inside out and then freeze them a day in your fridge.