Earlier today, Maeve and I met up with two Chinese guys for coffee/tea and then lunch. We met them because one was seeking English speaking friends to have a language exchange relationship. The two guys were really nice and smart and both spoke English very well, but I also spoke Chinese with them a lot. I've already been using Chinglish a lot with my foreign student friends and it is fun to speak it with Chinese friends too. I don't remember what we were talking about at the time, but our friend Frank mentioned that in China people say "Oh my Lady Gaga" instead of "Oh my god." He said that his friends use this frequently. When I first heard my student Lily say it, I assumed it was a relatively isolated thing, or that it was at least specific to her age group.
Later today, when Maeve and I were sitting outside with another language buddy, a Chinese girl who is new in the area came over to talk to us. She was an English major and spoke very good English with a very clear accent compared to many people we've spoken to. Then, at one point when she was embarrassed about something, she exclaimed, "Oh my Lady Gaga." I've now encountered a ten year old girl and two 20 year old guys from Qingdao who use this phrase, and also a 22 year old girl from Jiangsu province who says it. I'm really curious as to who started this.
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