British diving star Tom Daley, the “knitting whiz” in the diving world, recently made a big splash on RedNote, China’s social media platform. The Tokyo Olympics synchronized platform gold medalist asked his Chinese followers directly: “I heard Chinese netizens are pros at giving foreign celebrities nicknames – I want one too!” As expected, his plea triggered the Chinese Internet’s “nicknaming DNA.” Before long, netizens across the country launched a nationwide brainstorming craze.
How creative are Chinese netizens? They crowned “Xizhilang（喜织郎）” as the top-voted nickname. This three-character name showcases wordplay at its finest. To begin with, netizens drew inspiration from “Xizhilang（喜之郎）,” a beloved Chinese national jelly brand. Meanwhile, they replaced the middle character with “织 (zhī),” highlighting Daley’s hidden talent: knitting. Off the diving board, Daley acts like a “human sewing machine.” Notably, he knitted a protective case for his medal after winning gold in Tokyo. He also posted photos of sweaters he made for his family. Clearly, his skills rival those of a professional knitter. The final character, “郎 (láng),” which means “gentleman,” adds a respectful tone that fits his calm and kind personality.
Another fan-favorite, “Dai Li（呆梨, cute pear）,” also captured attention. It sounds like “Daley” and paints a playful image. In this case, netizens imagined a round, juicy snow pear with Daley’s focused diving expression. They turned the sports star into a cute cartoon character. They even joked about memes showing Daley diving as a snow pear, saying: “If they make merchandise, I’ll be first in line!”
Importantly, Chinese netizens regularly create nicknames for foreign celebrities. For example, they named Timothée Chalamet “Sweet Tea (甜茶),” Rihanna “Queen of Shandong (山东天后),” and Benedict Cumberbatch “Curly Fu (卷福).” In each case, these names reflect clever cultural crossovers. “Sweet Tea” matches Chalamet’s name and charm. Similarly, “Queen of Shandong” came from hilarious phonetic interpretations of Rihanna’s lyrics, mixing her global stardom with local wit.
During the nickname frenzy, netizens dug into Daley’s diving career for even more playful inside jokes. For example, they noticed that Daley knitted his own suit when he served as Britain’s flag bearer at the Paris Olympics. As a result, they dubbed him a “fashion trailblazer.”
Ultimately, Daley has transformed from Olympic diver to “knitting influencer.” He built a cross-cultural bond with his needles and yarn. As netizens like to say: “Giving nicknames isn’t teasing – it’s treating you like family.”
