退退退

What does 退退退 mean?

退退退 is a charm, a joke and an eviction notice in one phrase. You say it while pushing the air with both palms, the way street fortune-tellers banish spirits, so it turns a group chat into a small exorcism: mercury retrograde, an ex who suddenly texts, a friend who wants to borrow money, a meeting that could have been an email. The comic effect comes from the collision between folk ritual and everyday annoyance, and because everyone has something they want gone, it spread as stickers, emoji chains and comment replies within weeks. It works the opposite way from 锦鲤, which invites good luck in, and it echoes the shout-along energy of 奥利给, aimed in the other direction.

Where does 退退退 come from?

In May 2022 a clip of a street quarrel made the rounds: a woman squared off against her opponent, waving both palms as if shooing away a demon and shouting 退！退！退！ Netizens turned the gesture into GIFs and stickers and crowned it the year's exorcism chant. Commentators picked it up quickly: Cover News ran a piece on May 24, 2022 and 36Kr followed in June, both documenting how the phrase took over arguments online. From there it moved into ordinary life, where it is used against everything from bad luck to Monday deadlines.

How to use 退退退

• 新的一周，水逆退退退，霉运退退退，加班退退退！
  Xīn de yī zhōu, shuǐ nì tuì tuì tuì, méi yùn tuì tuì tuì, jiā bān tuì tuì tuì!
  New week: mercury retrograde, begone begone begone! Bad luck, begone! Overtime, begone!
• 闺蜜收到前男友的婚礼请柬，我替她回了三个字：退退退。
  Guī mì shōu dào qián nán yǒu de hūn lǐ qǐng jiǎn, wǒ tì tā huí le sān gè zì: tuì tuì tuì.
  My best friend got a wedding invitation from her ex, and I answered on her behalf in three syllables: begone, begone, begone.