TAIPEI – What do frozen garlic, radishes and hens have to do with Taiwanese elections?
As unlikely as it may seem, all of them are integral parts of Taiwan’s election terminology, reflecting the colourful and lively nature of the local politics.
Ahead of the critical Jan 13 election where the Taiwanese will head to the polls to vote for their next president and legislative representatives, The Straits Times explains some of the most distinctive terms and phrases that pop up during campaigning.
Frozen garlic: Heard at every campaign rally, the term dong suan means “frozen garlic” in Mandarin, but sounds like “to be elected” in the Minnan dialect. It is not uncommon for supporters to gift candidates with large bunches of garlic sprouts to wish them luck.
Radish: In the Minnan dialect, the daikon radish is pronounced tsai tao, which sounds like hao cai tou in Mandarin, meaning “good luck”. Like with garlic, supporters often present candidates with radishes on the campaign trail to wish them luck.
Hens and chicks: Hens refer to the candidates at the top of a ballot, such as a candidate running for the presidency or mayoral seat. Meanwhile, chicks refer to the candidates down the ballot, which in this case would be the legislative candidates.
The idea is that popular “hens” have the star power to help less well-known candidates perform well.
Within the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), for example, influential former Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu is considered one of the party’s strongest “hens”, with the ability to help other candidates gain more prominence whenever he campaigns for them.
Watermelon effect: The watermelon effect refers to the phenomenon where voters cast their ballots for a candidate whom they think will be the one more likely to win, even if that person is not their most preferred choice.
This is so that their vote will not be wasted. The term stems from a Minnan saying that is literally translated to mean “leaning towards the bigger watermelon”, as a metaphor for those who follow a person, or situation, with the upper hand.
Air battle: Air battles refer to online or media campaigning, such as social media campaigns or appearances on television talk shows.
It is often said that Dr Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party is particularly good at “air battles”, as he has a strong social media presence, helping him to reach out to his core group of younger supporters.
Land battle: Land battles refer to traditional street campaigning, such as rallies, walkabouts through markets, and motorcades. In the final few days leading up to the Jan 13 vote, candidates from all three parties ramped up their “land battles”, fanning out across the island to canvass for votes.
Saliva battle: Saliva battles refer to the war of words between different individuals or different parties. For example, during the Dec 30 televised presidential debate, the candidates traded barbs in a “saliva battle”.
To have one’s water metre checked: When someone has their “water metre checked”, it means that they are under investigation by the police, usually for no valid reason.
The term is believed to have originated from the 2009 Chinese television drama Police Story, where a police officer posed as a water company employee to convince a suspect to open the door to his home to check the water metre.
When Taiwan’s Foxconn, one of Apple’s largest suppliers, found itself facing a tax probe in China in October 2023, Taiwanese media described the move as the company having its “water metre checked”.
The investigation had come weeks after the company’s founder Terry Gou announced his bid for Taiwan’s presidency, leading Taiwanese officials to believe that the move was “politically motivated”.
Mr Gou dropped out of the race in November 2023, after the opposition failed to put up a joint ticket against the ruling party.
