# 冬瓜豆腐
## Chinese

| | | winter melon; ash gourd; wax gourdwinter melon; ash gourd; wax gourd; tallow gourd | tofu; bean curd; any food with tofu-like physical quality |
| trad. (冬瓜豆腐) | trad. (冬瓜豆腐) | 冬瓜 | 豆腐 |
| simp. $^#$(冬瓜豆腐) | simp. $^#$(冬瓜豆腐) | 冬瓜 | 豆腐 |

### Etymology

Winter melon and tofu are two of the common ingredients found in dishes for funeral repasts (解穢酒 / 解秽酒 (gaai$^2$ wai$^3$ zau$^2$)) because only vegetarian food can be served (Li, 2018).

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): dōngguā dòufu
    (Zhuyin): ㄉㄨㄥ ㄍㄨㄚ ㄉㄡˋ ˙ㄈㄨ
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): dung$^1$ gwaa$^1$ dau$^6$ fu$^6$
    (Dongguan, Jyutping++): dung$^1$ gwaa$^1$ daau$^3$ fu$^3$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: dōngguā dòufu
*** Zhuyin: ㄉㄨㄥ ㄍㄨㄚ ㄉㄡˋ ˙ㄈㄨ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: donggua dòufů
*** Wade–Giles: tung$^1$-kua$^1$ tou$^4$-fu$^5$
*** Yale: dūng-gwā dòu-fu
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: donggua dow.fu
*** Palladius: дунгуа доуфу (dungua doufu)
*** Sinological IPA : /tʊŋ⁵⁵ ku̯ä⁵⁵ toʊ̯⁵¹ fu¹/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: dung$^1$ gwaa$^1$ dau$^6$ fu$^6$
*** Yale: dūng gwā dauh fuh
*** Cantonese Pinyin: dung$^1$ gwaa$^1$ dau$^6$ fu$^6$
*** Guangdong Romanization: dung$^1$ gua$^1$ deo$^6$ fu$^6$
*** Sinological IPA : /tʊŋ⁵⁵ kʷaː⁵⁵ tɐu̯²² fuː²²/
** (Dongguan, Guancheng)
*** Jyutping++: dung$^1$ gwaa$^1$ daau$^3$ fu$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /tʊŋ²¹³ kʷa²¹³ tau³² fu³²/

### Idiom

冬瓜豆腐
* (chiefly Cantonese) unexpected misfortune
       maan$^6$ jat$^1$ jau$^5$ mat$^1$ dung$^1$ gwaa$^1$ dau$^6$ fu$^6$ dim$^2$ syun$^3$ aa$^3$? [Jyutping]
       What if something unexpected happens?
** 1961 November 10, 徐志偉, quotee, “電話公司稽查技工 貪汚疑案續審 證人關濟登堂作供後 經律師盤駁默不置答”, in 華僑日報 [Wah Kiu Yat Po], sheet 2, page 2:
       dim$^2$ aa$^3$, ngo$^5$ jam$^2$ nei$^5$ bui$^1$ caa$^4$ m$^4$ hai$^6$ jung$^4$ ji$^6$ gaa$^3$, ngo$^5$ gaa$^2$ gaa$^2$ dei$^{6-2}$ dou$^1$ jau$^5$ gei$^2$ baak$^3$ man$^{4-1}$ san$^1$ seoi$^2$, jyu$^4$ gwo$^2$ jau$^5$ mat$^1$ dung$^1$ gwaa$^1$ dau$^6$ fu$^6$, ngo$^5$ dik$^1$ lou$^5$ po$^4$ zai$^2$ neoi$^{5-2}$ dim$^2$ aa$^3$. [Jyutping]
       What's the deal? Drinking your cup of tea isn't easy. I do earn a few hundred bucks even if it's not that much. If there are any accidents, what would my wife and kids do?
** 1962 November 25, 工商晚報, page 5:
       naam$^4$ waa$^{4-2}$ daai$^6$ daam$^2$ hei$^2$ jung$^6$ can$^4$ tin$^1$ sung$^3$, gam$^1$ tin$^1$ jam$^4$ zung$^1$ gin$^1$, jyu$^4$ jat$^1$ daan$^3$ jau$^5$ dung$^1$ gwaa$^1$ dau$^6$ fu$^6$ si$^4$, diu$^6$ ceot$^1$ gwok$^3$ gam$^2$ hung$^4$ [Jyutping]
       South China daringly appoints Chan Tin-sung, Kwok Kam-hung to switch with Yam Chung-kin in the case of any accident
** 2002, 林秋霞, 《非常难女》 [Working Girls], Singapore: 玲子传媒 [Lingzi Media], page 171:
       Zhèmeyàng de xuǎnzé, zhàngfu méiyǒu biànhuà jiù hǎo, zhǐyào zhàngfu yǒu shénme dōngguā dòufu de, duìbùqǐ, Cher nà shíhou jiù mànmàn de kū qu ba. [Pinyin]
       With this kind of decision, all is good if there's no change with the husband. If the husband has any unexpected mishap, sorry to say, but Cher will just slowly cry away then.
** 2017, 博軒, 《21點賭王》, Hong Kong: 超媒體出版, →ISBN, page 78:
       bat$^1$ gwo$^3$, sin$^1$ zi$^2$ sing$^1$ ming$^4$, jeng$^4$ syu$^1$ gok$^3$ on$^1$ tin$^1$ ming$^6$, jau$^5$ sam$^6$ mo$^1$ dung$^1$ gwaa$^1$ dau$^6$ fu$^6$, bat$^1$ jiu$^3$ jyun$^3$ ngo$^5$. [Jyutping]
       But for the record, winning and losing is up to fate. If there's any unexpected misfortune, don't blame me.
** 2018, 做金庸的男人, 《是咁的，我嘅職業係幫人寫遺書》, 特別增訂版 edition, Hong Kong: 天行者出版 [Skywalker Press], →ISBN, page 26:
       jyu$^4$ gwo$^2$ jau$^5$ me$^1$ dung$^1$ gwaa$^1$ dau$^6$ fu$^6$, jau$^5$ jat$^1$ ci$^3$ haau$^2$ caa$^1$ zo$^2$ dik$^1$ waa$^6$ dim$^2$ syun$^3$? [Jyutping]
       What if there's some unexpected misfortune and do poorly on an exam?

#### Synonyms

* 三長兩短／三长两短 (sānchángliǎngduǎn)
* (Cantonese) 菠菜豆腐