压岁钱 (ya1sui4qian2)
red packet, lucky money
In ancient china, people tended to put some copper coins wrapped in red paper beside the pillows of their children on the Lunar New Year’s Eve to drive away a devil called “sui.” It has evolved into today’s red packet or lucky money that parents and older relatives give to children during the Lunar New Year to wish them good luck.

播客 （bo1ke4）
podcast
The word, a hybrid of “Ipod” and “broadcast,” refers to those who combine a group of technologies to distribute audio and video files over the Internet.

Note: blog is 搏客

私房菜 （si1fang2cai4）
private home cuisine
Sifangcai or “private home cuisine” has become a fad in many large cities around the country. It’s a kind of home catering that features traditional family recipes in a setting just like home.

官府菜 （guan1fu3cai4）
official’s home cuisine
Most cooks at residences of senior officials in feudal China were able to prepare specialty dishes. The recipes passed down for generations have helped establish some restaurants offering such dishes, like Beijing-based the Tan’s restaurant.

拇指族 （mu3zhi3zu2）
oyayubizoku, clan of the thumbs
The word came from Japan first. It refers to people who are skilled at using their thumbs to manipulate objects such as mobile phone keys, small joysticks, and notebook computer pointers. Now more and more Chinese young people have joined the clan of the thumbs as they use SMS as their major communication channel.

咸潮 （xian2chao2）
salt tide
The tide takes place at the mouth of the Yangtze River every winter or early spring, when water flowing from the river decreases, causing chloride level to rise and even exceed the national standard. Local media reported the year’s first salt tide in the East China Sea may threaten one of Shanghai’s two sources of fresh water during the Spring Festival.