释义 |
Chinese whispers
Chinese whispers n (functioning as singular) 1. (Games, other than specified) a game in which a message is passed on, in a whisper, by each of a number of people, so that the final version of the message is often radically changed from the original2. any situation where information is passed on in turn by a number of people, often becoming distorted in the processTranslationsChinese whispers
Chinese whispers1. A game played between a group of people in which a story or message is told by one person in secret to another, who then retells it to the next, and so on, with the resulting end message usually differing widely (and often amusingly) from the original. It can be considered a pejorative term, so discretion is advised. Primarily heard in UK. Chinese whispers is a great game—it's always hilarious to see what the last person has interpreted by the end!2. Any information or gossip that has been spread and retold by multiple parties, thus obfuscating, distorting, or exaggerating the original information. A somewhat pejorative term, it takes its name from the party game described above. Primarily heard in UK. The firm's CEO denounced the rumors of impending layoffs as being nothing more than Chinese whispers. It's a common occurrence that sensationalist news headlines devolve into Chinese whispers, thus leading a large number of people to accept misinformation as fact.See also: Chinese, whisper |