Chinese Idioms: 擲果盈車&貌似潘安

美醜是一種主觀的概念。Beauty and ugliness are subjective concepts. 

People have different standards of beauty. While many categorize others as "beautiful" or "ugly," I believe it simply reflects which appearances are more or less widely favored.

In Chinese culture, 潘安 is a renowned figure celebrated for his exceptional good looks. Today, we'll see two idioms associated with him.

擲果盈車

潘岳（247年—300年），字安仁。Later generations often referred to him as 潘安.

字 is 表字 for short.

In ancient times, many people had a "表字" (courtesy name)  in addition to their given name. It was a formal address used in addition to one's given name, and it usually relates to the meaning of the given name, serving as an explanation, extension, or supplement to it.

The 表字 emerged from the need for politeness and respect. In ancient times, calling someone by their given name directly was considered impolite. To avoid this, people generally used each other's 表字 in daily interactions. Given names were usually reserved for formal occasions.

Having a 表字 also symbolizes coming of age:

Males would hold "冠禮"(capping ceremony) at the age of 20, at which point an elder would bestow upon them their 表字. On the other hand, females would receive their 表字 at the age of 15 during a "及笄禮" (hair-pinning ceremony). Therefore, the phrase "待字閨中" (awaiting a courtesy name in the boudoir) was used to describe girls under the age of 15.

• 待= 等待：awaiting
• 字=表字：courtesy name
• 閨=閨房：boudoir
• 中：in

"冠禮" and "及笄禮" were coming-of-age ceremonies that announced to everyone, including the individuals themselves, that they were now adults who should be given respect and expected to take on corresponding social responsibilities. For females, the "及笄禮" (Hair-pinning Ceremony) also signified that they were now eligible for marriage, bearing some resemblance to a Debutante Ball.

Over time, as societal norms shifted and etiquette simplified, the system of 表字 gradually faded. As a result, people today rarely use them.

According to the《晉書·潘岳傳》：「岳美姿容，嘗挾彈出洛陽道，婦人見之，皆連手縈繞，投之以果，滿載而歸。」

This ancient text describes 潘安's exceptional beauty. Every time he rode his carriage out, women of all ages would flock to him, chasing his carriage and showering it with flowers and fruits. As a result, his carriage would be overflowing with these gifts by the time he went home.

This very story is the origin of the idiom "擲果盈車."

擲：throw
果 = 水果：fruit
盈 = 盈滿、充盈：to fill
車 = 馬車：carriage

貌似潘安/潘安之貌

Now, since we know that 潘安 was a handsome man who attracted women of all ages, we can understand that when you say someone 貌似潘安, you are praising his looks.

貌 = 外貌、容貌：appearance
似 = 相似：look like
潘安：A male name. He is famous for his exceptional beauty.

How To Use

I don't think people nowadays would use these two idioms to describe someone's appearance, but let me try.

A：人家都說我貌似潘安。Some said that I have the same beauty as 潘安.

B：在現代，我比較希望你貌似車銀優啦。

In modern times, I'd rather you have the same beauty as 車銀優(Cha Eun-woo).

A：天啊！那台車上的是周子瑜嗎？ Oh my god! Is that Tzuyu in that car?

B：好像是。你要試試擲果盈車嗎？我有蘋果。

I think so. Do you want to throw something to get her attention? I've got an apple.

A：開什麼玩笑！如果打傷她怎麼辦？ Are you kidding! What if I hurt her?