It’s duǎnxìn (短信 = text msg) season in China, with its tradition of sending new year’s greetings to everyone in your address book. The nice thing about the coming year of the tiger (虎 = hǔ) is that, repeated, the syllable becomes a word in its own right (tiger-tiger?) that the ABC Dictionary glosses as “energetic; vigorous”. Thus you might end up with

给您虎虎的祝福，虎虎的甜蜜，虎虎的运气，虎虎的健康，虎虎的快乐，虎虎的心情，虎虎的顺利，虎虎的幸福，虎虎的人生！×××祝您虎年快乐

Wishing you tiger-tiger blessings, tiger-tiger treats, tiger-tiger luck, tiger-tiger health… [get the picture?]

Not your style? Laowai Chinese offers some simpler texting options.

And for all of you I won’t get to text tonight: Happy year of the tiger! 虎年快乐！(Hǔnián kuài lè)

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