In the everyday language of Cantonese culture, "chicken" has never been just a type of poultry.
It can be a unit of currency ("one dollar chicken"), a sex worker ("calling a chicken"), a male genital organ ("penis"), or even a female college student engaged in compensated dating ("college chicken").

This article will delve into how the word "chicken" evolved from a transliterated word into a metaphor for prostitute, and analyze how it has permeated everyday language, economic activities, and even folk beliefs.

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"Chicken" and Prostitute: A Dual Origin of Transliteration and Metaphor

Phonetic relationship between the Mandarin word "妓" (prostitute) and the Cantonese word "鸡" (chicken).

The Mandarin word for prostitute, "妓" (ji), is a transliteration of "鸡" (ji), meaning chicken. (The last part is incomplete and likely refers to a different word or phrase.)call a prostituteThis led to the use of the term "calling a chicken." This phenomenon stems from phonological adaptation during language contact. In Cantonese, "prostitute" (gei6) and "chicken" (gai1) are similar in pronunciation, but not directly homophonous; their connection comes more from a metaphorical shift in meaning. After the reform and opening up, the prostitution industry in coastal Guangdong revived, and prostitutes in Tangxi and Guangzhou were regarded as "delicacies" like "chickens," making the term "calling a chicken" popular.

The Origin of Tangxi Romance and the "One Dollar Chicken"

In the 1920s and 30s, Tang Sai in Hong Kong was a popular red-light district. Guests needed to use "flower paper" (invitations) to invite prostitutes to brothels. Each flower paper cost one dollar and was called "one dollar kai" (pronounced "kai"). Later, due to a phonetic change, it became "one dollar chicken." At the time, one dollar could be exchanged for a chicken or a very basic sexual transaction. Therefore, "one dollar chicken" referred both to a coin and implied the cost of prostitution. This term gradually became a common name for a one-dollar coin.

Table 1: Consumption Levels of Tangxi's Entertainment Industry (1930s)

Consumption items	price	Remark
Fancy stationery (invitation coupon)	one yuan	Non-refundable
low-class prostitutes	One to two and a half millimeters	For example, the "Chicken Phoenix" case
Mid-range banquet	Numbers	Includes drinking and entertainment
Red Card Aunt	More than ten yuan	Reservations and private car service required

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Tangxi Romantic Culture: Historical Scene and Socioeconomic Analysis

The Fancy Stationery System and Consumption Patterns

The operation of the Tangxi brothel relied on a strict class system. Top-tier prostitutes owned private rickshaws decorated with colored light bulbs (called "chicken carts"), symbolizing their status; lower-class prostitutes (such as "chickens") had to make a living with difficulty. For example, "Chicken Phoenix" recorded in "Traces of Tangxi Flowers and Moon" only charged two and a half cents to serve customers.

Where is Tangxi?

Era	Main red-light districts	Estimated number of brothels	Number of registered prostitutes
1925	Shek Tong Tsui, Yau Ma Tei	80+	1,200
1935	Shek Tong Tsui, Wan Chai	120+	2,000
1940	Shek Tong Tsui	150+	2,500

The Fancy Stationery System: The Birth of the One-Yuan "Chicken"

The procedure for "calling aunt" at that time was as follows:

1. Customers write their names and the location of the banquet on the decorative stationery.
2. Run errands to deliver letters to brothels
3. Auntie decides whether to accept the invitation or not.
4. The cost of decorative stationery is HK$1, commonly known as "one dollar bill" or "one dollar chicken".

The phrase "one dollar chicken" first appeared in 1932 in [the context of the original text].Overseas Chinese DailySupplement to "Tangxi Miscellany".

Income Classification Table of Prostitutes in Tangxi (1920-1940)

grade	percentage	Monthly income range	Notes
high-class prostitute	10%	50 silver dollars or more	Most of them were top-tier female escorts, with their own private "chicken carts" (rickshaws) serving wealthy businessmen and powerful figures, earning incomes several times that of high-ranking civil servants at the time.
Mid-level prostitute	30%	10-50 silver dollars	Having a certain level of fame, one needs to participate in the bidding for decorative stationery; the income is sufficient to maintain a relatively decent lifestyle.
low-class prostitutes	60%	Less than 10 silver dollars	These include young prostitutes, including "chickens," and older prostitutes, who charge only about 2 cents per service and struggle to make a living.

Additional notes:

• Income comparisonAt that time, the average worker's monthly income was about 5-8 silver dollars, which shows that high-class prostitutes earned extremely high incomes.
• Currency conversionOne silver dollar could buy approximately 10-15 catties of rice, or pay for a single night's accommodation in an ordinary inn.
• Data sourceBased on a compilation of "Tangxi Flower Moon Traces", "Hong Kong Romantic History", and Hong Kong socio-economic archives from the 1920s.

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War and Transformation

Japanese occupation and the cessation of sexual activity

• 1941-1945: All brothels in Tangxi were closed.
• 1946-1950: Refugee influx led to rampant prostitution, with "chicken dens" replacing brothels.

Water-based flower boats and "Tanka chickens"

The "Fragrance-Seeking Boat" culture of Guangzhou has shifted southward:

Place	Number of boats (1947)	Number of people per boat	Fee (HKD)
Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter	120	3-5	2-5
Shau Kei Wan	80	2-4	2-4

The scale of Hong Kong's watercraft in 1947

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Folk beliefs and cultural symbols

The worship of deities in the prostitution industry

• Guan ZhongHe is revered as the patron saint of prostitutes, as legend has it that he established government-run brothels to increase tax revenue.
• PigsyBecause of his lecherous image, he became a common object of worship for prostitutes and their clients, who prayed for his protection.

Misunderstandings and Rehabilitation of the Character "鸨"

The term "brothel madam" originates from an ancient misconception about bustards: The *Danqiu Xiansheng Lun Qu* describes bustards as "lustful and insatiable," but in reality...bustardThe significant size difference between males and females led to the misconception that they were promiscuous. This misunderstanding persisted for over six hundred years until it was clarified by modern zoology.

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The Social Infiltration of Slang: From the World of Entertainment to Everyday Life

"Catching Yellow-legged Chickens" and Sexual Extortion

This term originates from the farmer's capture.RoosterCustom: Roosters are easily caught when they mate because their feet are dark yellow (Yellow-legged chickenLater, it came to mean the act of catching someone in adultery and then extorting money from them, becoming a synonym for "love trap" in Cantonese.

A complete guide to the Cantonese usage of the word "chicken".

category	Words/Sayings	Meaning Explanation	Example sentence (in Cantonese)
literal meaning	chicken	Refers to poultry, specifically chickens.	Dinner tonightchicken.
Related to sex work	Calling Chicken	Summoning prostitutes.	Go tonightCalling Chicken.
	Chicken	brothel.	Police raided severalChicken.
Small quantity	So much chicken bits	Describing a quantity as extremely small, pitifully small (with a tone of dissatisfaction or sarcasm).	FindSo much chicken bits.
Describing someone as weak/naive	Primary school chicken	It is used to mock someone's immature or childish thoughts and behaviors.	If you do thatPrimary school chickenWhat?
	(Good chicken	It describes a person or thing as being very weak or of a very low level.	Good opponentchickenWow, that's a real win.
	Stealing chickens	Pretending to be knowledgeable when you have nothing to offer	2-boy bottom thoughtStealing chickens.
Specific words	Quiet Chicken	Quietly and secretly.	IQuiet ChickenGo in.
	Tengji	Describes a state of panic and frantic activity.	As soon as I saw the examiner, ITengji.
	Curry Chicken	It's jokingly referred to as a hickey on the skin.	Your neck has a slit.Curry ChickenOh.
	Talking to each other like chickens and ducks	This metaphor describes a situation where two parties are unable to communicate and cannot understand each other due to a language barrier.	I told him that it was all true.Talking to each other like chickens and ducks.
	Chicken Woman	A hen. Sometimes used jokingly to refer to a large woman.	OnlyChicken WomanIt laid a lot of eggs.
More common phrases	So much chicken bits	Describing a quantity as extremely small, pitifully small (with a tone of dissatisfaction or sarcasm).	Canal share of artificial incomeSo much chicken bitsIs there enough water to wash it?
	Mizoji	It is to urge someone not to miss an opportunity. "Letting a good opportunity slip away" means to let a good opportunity slip by.	This price reduction is quite rare.Mizojiah!
	Stealing chickens	When people aren't paying attention	1. The canal today againStealing chickensI'm not going to work. 2. CanalStealing chickensHe slid into the penalty area and took a shot.
	Dead chicken propping up rice lid	This proverb describes someone who stubbornly refuses to admit their mistakes, even when they are clearly wrong, and desperately tries to defend themselves.	Admit your mistakes, don't always...Dead chicken propping up rice lid.
	Chicken hands and duck feet	It describes someone as being flustered, clumsy, or inattentive.	What he doesChicken hands and duck feetHe's always breaking things.
	The chicken can't peck it off	This describes two people chatting incessantly, like chickens pecking at rice.	The mother and daughter were talking on the phone in the canal.The chicken can't peck it off.
	1 Chicken Wild	10,000 yuan	Just now, the casino was on the left.Chicken Wild.
	Phoenix is not as good as chicken	This proverb describes a situation where a person of high status falls into hardship and ends up worse off than an ordinary person.	He used to be arrogant, but now...Phoenix is not as good as chickenThat's truly a sinister act.
	No chicken seen when praying to the gods	(The following is a proverb/idiom)Humorous Gods and GhostsThe literal meaning is that the chicken is missing when worshipping the gods, and it is used metaphorically to describe a person muttering to themselves, complaining incessantly, or saying irrelevant things.	You are hereNo chicken seen when praying to the godsWhat are you talking about?
	Flying Chicken	Nissan Silvia S13	Because of your supportFlying ChickenDrift
	Flying Chicken	female flight attendant	Flying ChickenAnother left trip
	dick	male genitalia	It's huge!dick
	Trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead.	He wanted to make quick money by speculating in stocks, but ended up losing a lot of his principal.	He wanted to make quick money by speculating in stocks, but his attempt backfired and he lost a lot of his principal.

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The Interaction and Mirror of Language and Society

In Hong Kong, the word "chicken" has evolved from poultry to currency, from currency to sex workers, and then from sex workers to a subculture symbol on the internet, reflecting the dual shaping of urban desires and language over the past century.

In Cantonese, its meaning has far surpassed its original connotation as poultry, becoming an extremely flexible and prolific morpheme. Most of its derivative words contain...Derogatory, humorous, or vivid metaphorsThis fully embodies the everyday wisdom and humor of Cantonese. The key to understanding these words lies in combining them with specific examples.context.

The word "chicken" is not only a linguistic phenomenon but also a microcosm of social history. From Tangxi flower stationery to modern slang, it records the economic structure of the sex industry, the misunderstanding and revision of folk beliefs, and the labeling of marginalized groups by power. Although these words have faded somewhat today, they still lie dormant in the depths of Cantonese culture, becoming a code for understanding gender and class relations in Chinese society.

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Appendix: References and Further Reading

1. Luo Liming, Tangxi Huayuehen, Hong Kong: Chung Hwa Book Company, 1950.
2. Liu Tianci, “Goddess, Flower Street, Prostitution Culture”, Hong Kong: Subculture Hall, 2005.
3. Zheng Baohong, A History of Hong Kong's Sex and Entertainment Industry, Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong Press, 2010.
4. "Cihai", a textual research on the entry for "penis", Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House, 1999.

Further reading:

• Penis shape and sex skills
• What is One Floor One Phoenix? How to play?
• What does "Horseman" mean?
• One floor one call chicken process