“Baihu”: Talkative and Witty Chit-Chat
白话（呼）白话（呼）
“卫嘴子”(weizuizi) refers to Tianjin people who are articulate, witty, and talkative, often described as “like adding toppings to a fried pancake—one set after another.” Tianjin people embrace this label, believing it reflects their ability to speak well without malice or derogatory intent. There are three reasons why Tianjin people are so articulate and good at chit chat:
Firstly, Tianjin's geographical locationrests at the confluence of rivers and the sea. Its well-developed transportation system have historically made it a key northern hub for shipping and a central marketplace for goods flowing between the north and south. With thriving commercecomes bustling traffic and lively interaction among people. With plenty of interactions, better communication skillsnaturally follow. Consequently, Tianjin people’s eloquence has been honed over generations.
Secondly, Tianjin people possess broad knowledge, an open perspective, and a generous mindset. Historically, Tianjin has seen an influx of various groups, including soldiers from Jiangsu and Anhui, merchants from Zhejiang and Guangdong, immigrants from Yan and Zhao, Qing Dynastyloyalists, Beiyang politicians, and people from all walks of life. Southern and norther culture intersect here. After Tianjin opened up as a port city, it became home to nine foreign concessions, filled with foreign businesses set up and infused with Western influences. This blend of cultures, along with a constant flow of new and diverse experiences, widened Tianjin peoplehorizonsand provided them with a wealth of material for their lively storytelling and talkative nature.
Thirdly, Tianjin is the hometown of traditional performing arts. The standup comedian master Ma Sanli's crosstalk, the drum music of the renowned vocalist Luo Yusheng, and the quick wit of Tianjin’skuaiban (fast clapper talk) have all nurtured Tianjin people’s sense of humor, imagination, and verbal skills.
With these three foundational reasons, Tianjin people's eloquence is like a “barber clapping his hand—just too good!”
The term "plain talk” (baihua (hu) 白话(呼)) is a proper expression in Tianjin and carries no negative connotations. It simply means casual chatting or conversation. However, phrases like “nonsense talk” (qiong baihua hu 穷白话(呼)) or “empty talk” (xia baihua hu 瞎白话(呼)) do carry a derogatory tone. When someone is described as "empty talk”, it means they are criticized for “just talking without action and is all show.” In Tianjin dialect, this would be expressed as: "This guy is just talking nonsense, don’t believe him; if he’s says something outside the South Gate, you’d better go all the way to Balitai to get the real story."("这小子瞎白话(呼)，你可别信啊，他在南门外说话，你得到八里台听去," meaning)
When someone is described as “poor talk” (穷白话(呼)qiong bai hua hu), it means they are criticized for talking nonsense or making unfounded statements. Their words are seen as lacking substance. In Tianjin, there is a person who constantly engages in“poor talk”, talking endlessly with vague and unsubstantiated claims, rambling on and on about everything from ancient to modern times, and from local to international matters. They speak with such fervor that they might even froth at the mouth, yet they continue uninterrupted. This behavior is referred to as being a “talkative egg” (白话蛋baihuadan)or “mouth fighter” (嘴把式 zuibashi), meaning someone who is all talk and no action—essentially, someone who relies only on their words. A local saying goes, which translates to, “If you have money, go listen to ‘Water Margin’(a classic Chinese novel),but if not, don’t waste your time on a talkative egg (有钱去听《水浒传》，没钱别听白话蛋).” This implies that it’s better to spend your time and money on something worthwhile rather than on pointless chatter.
Stand-up comedian master Ma Sanli in Tonight at Ten portrays the “giant of words, dwarf of action), while Li Boxiang’s Chatting brings to life the character of the “Li the Big Talker (Li Dabaihua Dan. These portrayals are penetrating and lifelike. Just thinking about them makes me burst into laughter.
“卫嘴子”说的是天津人能说会道，言语诙谐，滔滔不绝，而且是“煎饼果子带作料----一套一套的”。天津人对这个称号是接受的，觉得心安理得，至少起码认为并无恶意、贬低的意思。为啥天津人能说会道，挺能白话(呼)的呢?原因有三：
其一，天津地理位置河海相通，交通发达，历来是北方漕运枢纽，南北商品集散中心。商贸发达，人气就旺;人气旺盛，就靠交流;交流一多，口才就自然好。于是，天津人的嘴皮子，经过世世代代相承，就练出来了。
其二，天津人见识多广，视野开阔，胸襟宽广。历史上，苏皖军人、浙广商贾、燕赵移民、清廷遗老、北洋政客、三教九流，移民天津，南北文化在此交融，天津开埠后，九国租界，洋行林立，欧风劲吹，新潮迭起，中西文化在这里碰撞。天津人眼界大开，每天耳闻目染，都是新鲜事儿。这为天津人“白呼”，提供了源源不断的素材。
其三，天津是曲艺之乡，幽默大师马三立的相声，金嗓鼓王骆玉笙的鼓曲，现挂找乐儿的天津快板，使天津人熏陶出了幽默感、想象力和口头表达能力。
有这三原因垫底儿，天津人的口才那是“剃头师傅拍手----忒(推)好了!”
白话(呼)是个正经词儿，并无贬义，就是闲谈、聊天的意思。但是“穷白话(呼)”、“瞎白话(呼)”可就带贬义了。说某人“瞎白话(呼)”，就是对她他“光说不练，假功夫”的批评和否定。用天津话说，就是“这小子瞎白话(呼)，你可别信啊，他在南门外说话，你得到八里台听去”。
说某人“穷白话(呼)”，就是对她他“没根没据乱说”、“说话带水分”的不满。天津某公，整天穷白话)(呼)，云山雾罩，天南地北，口若悬河，喋喋不休。什么古今中外联合国，天文地理文史哲，直至声嘶力竭，口吐白沫，仍滔滔不绝----这就升格为“白话蛋”了。“白话蛋”又叫“嘴把式”，就是“光说不练”、“狗掀帘子--拿嘴对付”的意思，天津俗谚说：“有钱去听《水浒传》，没钱别听白话蛋”。
相声大师马三立在《今晚十点开始》中塑造的“说话巨人，行动矮子”的艺术形象，李伯祥《聊天儿》里塑造的“李大白话蛋”的艺术形象，鞭辟入里，栩栩如生。一想起来，就得大笑三声。
