冬瓜豆腐

Chinese

		winter melon; ash gourd; wax gourd winter melon; ash gourd; wax gourd; tallow gourd	tofu; bean curd; any food with tofu-like physical quality
trad. (冬瓜豆腐)		冬瓜	豆腐
simp. ^#(冬瓜豆腐)		冬瓜	豆腐

Etymology

Winter melon and tofu are two of the common ingredients found in dishes for funeral repasts (解穢酒 / 解秽酒 (gaai² wai³ zau²)) because only vegetarian food can be served (Li, 2018).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): dōngguā dòufu

(Zhuyin): ㄉㄨㄥㄍㄨㄚㄉㄡˋ ˙ㄈㄨ
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): dung¹ gwaa¹ dau⁶ fu⁶

(Dongguan, Jyutping++): dung¹ gwaa¹ daau³ fu³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: dōngguā dòufu
  - Zhuyin: ㄉㄨㄥㄍㄨㄚㄉㄡˋ ˙ㄈㄨ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: donggua dòufů
  - Wade–Giles: tung¹-kua¹ tou⁴-fu⁵
  - Yale: dūng-gwā dòu-fu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: donggua dow.fu
  - Palladius: дунгуа доуфу (dungua doufu)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʊŋ⁵⁵ ku̯ä⁵⁵ toʊ̯⁵¹ fu¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: dung¹ gwaa¹ dau⁶ fu⁶
  - Yale: dūng gwā dauh fuh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dung¹ gwaa¹ dau⁶ fu⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: dung¹ gua¹ deo⁶ fu⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʊŋ⁵⁵ kʷaː⁵⁵ tɐu̯²² fuː²²/
- (Dongguan, Guancheng)
  - Jyutping++: dung¹ gwaa¹ daau³ fu³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʊŋ²¹³ kʷa²¹³ tau³² fu³²/

Idiom

冬瓜豆腐

(chiefly Cantonese) unexpected misfortune
萬一有乜冬瓜豆腐點算呀？ [Cantonese, trad.]
万一有乜冬瓜豆腐点算呀？ [Cantonese, simp.]
maan⁶ jat¹ jau⁵ mat¹ dung¹ gwaa¹ dau⁶ fu⁶ dim² syun³ aa³? [Jyutping]
What if something unexpected happens?
- 1961 November 10, 徐志偉, quotee, “電話公司稽查技工貪汚疑案續審證人關濟登堂作供後經律師盤駁默不置答”, in 華僑日報 [Wah Kiu Yat Po], sheet 2, page 2:
  
  點呀，我飲你杯茶唔係容易㗎，我假假地都有幾百文薪水，如果有乜冬瓜豆腐，我的老婆仔女點呀。 [Cantonese, trad.]
  点呀，我饮你杯茶唔系容易㗎，我假假地都有几百文薪水，如果有乜冬瓜豆腐，我的老婆仔女点呀。 [Cantonese, simp.]
  dim² aa³, ngo⁵ jam² nei⁵ bui¹ caa⁴ m⁴ hai⁶ jung⁴ ji⁶ gaa³, ngo⁵ gaa² gaa² dei^6-2 dou¹ jau⁵ gei² baak³ man^4-1 san¹ seoi², jyu⁴ gwo² jau⁵ mat¹ dung¹ gwaa¹ dau⁶ fu⁶, ngo⁵ dik¹ lou⁵ po⁴ zai² neoi^5-2 dim² aa³. [Jyutping]
  What's the deal? Drinking your cup of tea isn't easy. I do earn a few hundred bucks even if it's not that much. If there are any accidents, what would my wife and kids do?
- 1962 November 25, 工商晚報, page 5:
  
  南華大胆起用陳天送　今天任中堅　如一旦有冬瓜豆腐時　調出郭錦洪 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
  南华大胆起用陈天送　今天任中坚　如一旦有冬瓜豆腐时　调出郭锦洪 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]
  naam⁴ waa^4-2 daai⁶ daam² hei² jung⁶ can⁴ tin¹ sung³, gam¹ tin¹ jam⁴ zung¹ gin¹, jyu⁴ jat¹ daan³ jau⁵ dung¹ gwaa¹ dau⁶ fu⁶ si⁴, diu⁶ ceot¹ gwok³ gam² hung⁴ [Jyutping]
  South China daringly appoints Chan Tin-sung, Kwok Kam-hung to switch with Yam Chung-kin in the case of any accident
- 2002, 林秋霞, 《非常难女》 [Working Girls], Singapore: 玲子传媒 [Lingzi Media], page 171:
  
  这么样的选择，丈夫没有变化就好，只要丈夫有什么冬瓜豆腐的，对不起，Cher那时候就慢慢地哭去吧。 [Singaporean Mandarin, simp.]
  這麼樣的選擇，丈夫沒有變化就好，只要丈夫有什麼冬瓜豆腐的，對不起，Cher那時候就慢慢地哭去吧。 [Singaporean Mandarin, trad.]
  Zhèmeyàng de xuǎnzé, zhàngfu méiyǒu biànhuà jiù hǎo, zhǐyào zhàngfu yǒu shénme dōngguā dòufu de, duìbùqǐ, Cher nà shíhou jiù mànmàn de kū qu ba. [Pinyin]
  With this kind of decision, all is good if there's no change with the husband. If the husband has any unexpected mishap, sorry to say, but Cher will just slowly cry away then.
- 2017, 博軒, 《21點賭王》, Hong Kong: 超媒體出版, →ISBN, page 78:
  
  不過，先至聲明，贏輸各安天命，有甚麼冬瓜豆腐，不要怨我。 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
  不过，先至声明，赢输各安天命，有什么冬瓜豆腐，不要怨我。 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]
  bat¹ gwo³, sin¹ zi² sing¹ ming⁴, jeng⁴ syu¹ gok³ on¹ tin¹ ming⁶, jau⁵ sam⁶ mo¹ dung¹ gwaa¹ dau⁶ fu⁶, bat¹ jiu³ jyun³ ngo⁵. [Jyutping]
  But for the record, winning and losing is up to fate. If there's any unexpected misfortune, don't blame me.
- 2018, 做金庸的男人, 《是咁的，我嘅職業係幫人寫遺書》, 特別增訂版 edition, Hong Kong: 天行者出版 [Skywalker Press], →ISBN, page 26:
  
  如果有咩冬瓜豆腐，有一次考差咗的話點算？ [Cantonese, trad.]
  如果有咩冬瓜豆腐，有一次考差咗的话点算？ [Cantonese, simp.]
  jyu⁴ gwo² jau⁵ me¹ dung¹ gwaa¹ dau⁶ fu⁶, jau⁵ jat¹ ci³ haau² caa¹ zo² dik¹ waa⁶ dim² syun³? [Jyutping]
  What if there's some unexpected misfortune and do poorly on an exam?

Synonyms

三長兩短／三长两短 (sānchángliǎngduǎn)
(Cantonese) 菠菜豆腐