Eveline Chao’s Niubi!: The Real Chinese You Were Never Taught in School (available on Amazon and at the Bookworm) is as entertaining as it is functional. The phrasebook presents a hip, colloquial and current collection of curses and one-liners – some of which might make your grandmother blush – including sections on swearing and profanity, dating, sex and body parts, and even Internet slang. Chao graciously took some time to discuss her fascination with language, laughter, and the words you’ll certainly never learn in Chinese101.

Where did you grew up, how did you become passionate about writing, and how did you decide to settle in Beijing?

I’m from a small town in Maryland where there was nothing to do, so I was a huge bookworm – that nerdy little girl who would read while walking to the bus stop and be bumping into things on the way. Then in college I majored in English literature with a focus on creative writing, basically because I found out that creative writing majors didn’t have to do a 100-page research thesis like the other humanities majors. College is where I met my good friend Ann Waddell, who had been to Beijing during the ‘90s as a high schooler, and then moved to Beijing in 2005. I came to visit her in 2006 strictly as a tourist, fell in love with the city, and the rest is history.

Did you have any reservations about writing on such a naughty subject?

No, I never had any reservations about the topic. And I don’t think of any of the content as “naughty” – I think of all the words as really fascinating, worthwhile ways of gaining insight into the language and contemporary Chinese society.

What is your favorite bad word in Chinese? Why?

The title word (niúbī, meaning “f*ckin’ awesome” but literally translating to “cow pussy”) never fails to amaze.

You credit your foul-mouthed friends with teaching you some of the slang words used in your book. Were there any words they taught you that caught you by surprise?

Some of my friends had come up with their own hilarious explanations for where some of the words came from, which I wish were true, because I would have loved to put them in the book. For example, one friend insisted that the Chinese name for the drug Ecstasy, which is 摇头丸 yáotóuwán, literally “shake-head pill,” came from Chinese people not knowing how to dance back when E was getting big during the ‘90s, so when state news outlets like CCTV did reports about raves and the growing drug problem down south, they described these users as shaking their heads as opposed to dancing.

Which word from your book do you find to be the funniest or to have the silliest literal meaning?

I think it’s interesting that 断背 duànbèi has become a word for “gay.” It literally means “broke back,” as in the movie Brokeback Mountain. There are quite a few slang terms that come from English.

Did you run into any problems or concerns with publishing this type of material?

No. But I keep getting asked that, so I think people are confused and think that it is put out by a Chinese publisher. It’s published by Plume, an imprint of Penguin in New York.

Was there anything that had to be edited out due to content?

My manuscript was way too long so we had to cut a lot of stuff for length, but there was no issue with the content.

What is the best compliment you’ve received on your book?

I’ve had a few college students find me through Facebook, who messaged me these incredibly thorough, analytical chapter-by-chapter assessments of why the book is interesting and instructive and useful, which is really impressive on their part and very heartwarming for me. It’s never occurred to me to hunt down an author to tell them why I liked their book, but getting messages like that has made me realize I really should, because you can totally make someone’s day.

What’s the most unusual compliment you’ve received on your book?

One friend told me he bought it for his parents who are about to visit China for the first time, but that he told them not to read chapters five [“Sex and Body Parts”] or seven [“Behaving Badly”].

Is there anyone, like parents or in-laws, whom you’d prefer didn’t read your book?

I keep putting off giving my parents copies of the book. They both have a good sense of humor so it’s not like they’ll be offended, but they’ll probably be confused by some of the English explanations for the words, so I’m more worried about awkward conversations like “What does ‘reverse cowgirl’ mean?”

Which phrase or phrases from your book do you use most often?

I use the Internet ones a fair bit, because they’re a reflection of what’s going on right now in society so they sometimes come up in conversations about current events. I almost never use the curses and insults because I’m one of those people who gets incredibly flustered when they’re upset and suddenly can’t remember a word of Chinese.

What is the most unusual cussing situation you’ve encountered?

I can’t think of anything all that unusual. Just an unending parade of incredibly foul-mouthed cab drivers. My friend Austin and I walked out of Bed Bar at 2am once and some crotchety old neighborhood guy who was clearly angry about the noise was standing there across from the entrance yelling “f*ck you, you f*cking cunts” at everyone coming out of the bar. But most of the foreigners walking out couldn’t understand him and would just stand right there in front of him smoking and chatting, completely oblivious to the fact that this old man in his underwear was hurling obscenities at them. It was actually pretty funny.

What is the lewdest comment that anyone has ever thrown your way?

No one’s ever called me bad names in Chinese, but I was walking alone down a hutong once and some guy sitting on a sanlunche (three-wheeled bike cart) asked in a low voice, “Are you a hooker?” Mind you I was wearing a t-shirt, jeans, sneakers, and no makeup, so there was absolutely nothing prostitute-like about me, unless I just naturally give off some whore-ish air and no one’s told me. Unfortunately I was spaced out and sort of lost in my thoughts so I didn’t even register what he had said until I was already a good few meters away, and then I felt like it was too late to go back and yell at him.

What should people keep in mind when reading and using your book?

Be careful about how and when you use slang, because it’s really hard to get all the nuances right without sounding silly. And try not to get beat up.