"二" (èr) In Tianjin Dialect
天津话的“二”
In Tianjin dialect, the term “二五眼” (èr wǔ yǎn) is a humorous and critical expression. Originally referring to poor technique in playing the huqin (a traditional Chinese string instrument), it implies that the performer’s skills are lacking.The term "稀松二五眼" can be broken down as follows:“稀松” refers to something being loose or slack, suggesting a lack of precision.“二五眼” refers to a performance that doesn’t meet musical standards, as "二" (two) and "五" (five) are not part of the traditional musical beats, which are typically "一板一眼" (one Strong beat and one weak beat) or "一板三眼" (one strong beat and three weak beats).
The phrase paints a picture of a performance that is out of tune and unpleasant to listen to, contrasting with the smooth and melodious performance of skilled musicians. The Tianjin dialect expression “二小儿拉胡琴——自顾自(吱咕吱)” sarcastically refers to someone playing the huqin poorly, highlighting their self-centered and inept performance.
The term “二五眼” has evolved to also mock people with low skill levels or those with superficial knowledge. The phrase “一瓶子不满，半瓶子晃荡” is a typical depiction of “二五眼.” In skilled trades, people with poor techniques are called “二把刀” (èr bǎ dāo) or “二五眼” (èr wǔ yǎn). Similarly, those who only superficially understand a subject and fail to perform well under serious conditions are also labeled as “二把刀” or “二五眼.” For example: “His skills are so poor, just stop it , please”.
“二五眼” can also describe someone who is unreliable, careless, or inattentive: “You handled this matter a bit 二五眼carelessly.” Sometimes, it is used to describe poor eyesight: “His glasses are thicker than the bottom of a wine bottle; he's 二五眼famously nearsighted.”
“二五眼” is also a self-descriptive term used by people in Tianjin to express a state of contentment with being mediocre. In Tianjin, it reflects a value of being comfortably average, not striving for the best but being satisfied with a modest level. For instance, if you ask a friend about their business, they might say, "It's just okay, getting by." Similarly, if asked about their daily life or work performance, they might respond with "It's passable, neither too good nor too bad."
There's another term with 'two' in it that has a similar meaning to '二五眼' (èr wǔ yǎn): “Such a narrow path can only be navigated by an experienced driver like you; if it were a 二八八 driver, they'd definitely get stuck.” “二八八'”refers to something or someone of average or below-average quality, roughly comparable to “二把刀".
In Tianjin dialect, words with “二” (èr) often have derogatory meanings: “二虎” (èr hǔ) refers to reckless people, “二皮脸” (èr pí liǎn) to shameless individuals, and “二来来” (èr lái lái) means attempting something again after failure. Other similar terms include “二小儿,” “二把刀” (subpar skill), “二五眼,” “二百五” (foolish), “二愣子,” “二赖子,” “二流子” (second-rate), “二皮脸,” “二不楞,” and “二路货.” Adjectives like “二二乎乎,” “二啦吧唧,” and “二不楞” are also derogatory. This might upset Auntie Er’二大妈”: “Who have we offended? Why is it that anything with '二' is so unreliable and useless?”
Yes, even being called a “二姨夫” (èr yí fū) has turned into a term for someone who is considered unreliable or of low quality----sell big”甩货”.
“二五眼”又说成“稀松二五眼”。最早是指胡琴演奏技巧不佳。“稀松”有一种说法是说琴弦松弛了，“二五眼”指演奏的音乐板眼不合音律。因为古曲音律，分为“一板一眼”和“一板三眼”两种，从来没有“一板二眼”或“一板五眼”之说。胡琴演奏，行家高手拉起来行云流水，似彩云追月。“如听仙乐耳暂明”，是心灵和听觉的享受。而“二把刀”、“二五眼”拉出来的曲子，吱吱扭扭，噪音刺耳，“呕哑嘲哳难为听”了。天津方言歇后语“二小儿拉胡琴----自顾自(吱咕吱)”，就是对“二五眼”的调侃和讽刺。
“二五眼”后来意义延伸了，也用来讽刺哪些技术水平低的人或知识半吊子的人。“一瓶子不满，半瓶子逛荡”，就是对“二五眼”的典型描绘。在手艺行里，把那种技术水平低的人，称为“二把刀”或“二五眼”，对做学问只会指指点点，到了动真格时上面不了台面的，也称为“二把刀”、“二五眼”。比如：“他那技术二五眼，快打住吧，您了”。
“二五眼”也指办事不靠谱，毛糙，不认真仔细：“你这事办得有点二五眼”。
有时候也用“二五眼”形容眼神儿不好：”他戴的眼镜比酒瓶底儿还厚，是有名的二五眼.”
“二五眼”还是天津人自我描述的一种生存状态。天津有一种比上不足比下有余，知足常乐甘居中游的价值观。比如，你问朋友最近生意怎么?他回答;“二五眼，马马虎虎过得去”。问他日子过得怎样?回答也是：“二五眼，凑合着过”。问单位效益怎样?回答还是：“二五眼，不上不下”。
还有一个带“二”字的词，跟“二五眼”差不多意思：“那么窄的道，也就您这老司机能过去，要换个二八八的，准卡那”。二八八是经典的天津话，指一般水平或中等偏下的，大概和“二把刀”差不多。
天津口语里，带“二”字的都带贬斥的意思：“二虎(做事鲁莽的人)”、“二皮脸(不知害羞的人)”、“二来来(一次没成功，再来一次，相当于二进宫)”。这类词还有“二小儿”、“二把刀(技术差，不精)”、“二五眼”、“二百五”、“二愣子”、“二赖子”、“二流子”、“二皮脸”、“二不楞”、“二路货”，还有一些形容词“二二乎乎”、“二啦吧唧”、“二不楞等”等，也是带贬义的。这可就要惹二大妈生气了:“我们招谁惹谁了，怎么带二字的都是歪瓜裂枣，扶不上墙，拾不起个儿来呢”?
也是，连当个“二姨夫”，也成了“甩货”。
